Disaster
by Welcome to the New
Summary: A little vacation has never hurt anyone, right? Especially if this little vacation happens to be in London, during the time of the convergence. Yeah, this is going to end well. Sequel to Goodbye Ordinary.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"_Long before the birth of light, there was darkness, and from the darkness came the Dark Elves. Millennia ago, the most ruthless of their kind, Malekith, sought to transform our universe back into one of light. Such evil blossomed through the power of the Aether, an ancient force of infinite destruction._"

. . .

Time seemed to move slowly. A few weeks have passed since that last dinner meeting with Stark and the rest of the 'Super Family'. I've learned since than that I'm on temporary leave from SHIELD, thanks to the threats of my wonderful parents. Tony decided to try and merge companies with Encom.

Since than I've been bored, not having anything to do. I was thankful Beck had been given the chance to stay with me for the next few weeks. Ever since the incident (We've been calling it that a lot lately) on the Grid, I was left feeling uneasy about being alone.

On the plus side, Beck had finally met Peter two days after that dinner party. And the two hit it off almost instantly. I didn't miss the small amount of similarities between them, and I'm guessing Peter hadn't missed that either. Though we hadn't told him where Beck came from; let's just say we're biding our time.

Steve was transferred to Washington D.C. about a week ago. Now it was Tony's job to make sure I didn't get into any trouble. I'm not even sure how Natasha and Clint managed to get him to agree with those terms. Frankly I don't think I want to know.

In that time I also met Darcy Lewis. Whether or not it was fate that brought us together, I wasn't sure. Needless to say, we became good friends. And it was at that point she had invited me to spend some time in London with Jane Foster. Why she had invited me I never fully understood, but I wasn't missing out on this opportunity.

This was going to be the best vacation ever. Best part was I didn't have SHIELD breathing down my neck every few minutes. Only downside was, I would spend less time on the Grid again, and away from Beck. He's been busy enough working with Tony on designing new vehicles that were similar to the ones on the Grid. Now that Stark had managed to somehow convince Sam to merge companies (I still never got the full detail on that, but apparently only part of their companies worked together). Hopefully that project wouldn't take too long.

. . .

"_The noble armies of Asgard, led by my father, King Nor, waged a mighty war against these wretches. As the nine worlds converged above him Malekith could at last unleash the Aether. But Asgard had ripped the weapon from his grasp. Without it the Dark Elves fell. With the battle all but lost, Malekith sacrificed his own people in a desperate attempt to lay waste on Asgard's army. Malekith was ambushed and the Aether was no more. Or so we were led to believe..._"

* * *

**AN: So this is the beginning of Disaster. I'm really excited about this one, especially since Loki will definitely be... more involved :P I'm not getting into full detail, but you'll find out later on what I mean. Also, I only just heard Aloe Blacc's song Wake Me Up. Has anyone else heard the acoustic version? So beautiful!**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

"_I really don't see what the fuss is all about."_

_"Do you not truly feel the gravity of your crimes? Where ever you go there is war, ruin, and death."_

_"I wanted to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent God, just like you."_

_"We are not Gods. We are born, we live, we die, just as humans do._

_"Give or take five thousand years."_

_"All this because Loki desires a throne."_

_"It's my birthright!"_

_"Your birthright, was to die! As a child! Cast out on a frozen rock. If I had not taken you in you would not be here to hate me."_

_"If I had fully asked for true mercy, I'd say just swing it. It's not that I don't love our little talks, it's just... I don't love them."_

_"Frigga is the only reason you are still alive and you will never see her again. You will spend the rest of your days in the dungeon."_

_"And what of Thor? You will make that witless oaf king while I rot in chains?"_

_"Thor must strive to undo the damage you have already done. He will bring order to the Nine Realms, and than yes, he will take over the throne._"

. . .

London was a beautiful city. There was so much to see and do that I was almost always busy. Darcy was showing me the best spots according to her while Jane was busy with the lab equipment she brought with her. And I have to say, I'm really glad I was asked to tag along, even if that whole scenario had seemed random at the time.

And now I was pacing around the small apartment, phone against my ear while Darcy had the news turned on. It was around that time again.

"Yes, everything's fine Clint," I muttered while still pacing. Darcy was trying her hardest not to laugh - by now she'd gotten used to the random messages left by my overprotective father. So far Jane was never around to hear our conversations, and that was probably a good thing. "No, I haven't run into any strangers... yeah, I got it. Believe me, I can take care of myself. Yes, I'll call tomorrow."

Holding back a sigh of frustration as he hung up, I tossed the phone on the sofa next to Darcy. She just grinned as I joined her shortly after.

"Don't you just love overprotective parents?" she chided.

"They're just wonderful," I replied with a laugh.

But I was nice to hear that someone was worried about me. After everything I went through it was difficult leaving the country. You wouldn't believe what it took to convince both Clint and Natasha that I was capable of doing this.

In just seconds the doorbell rang, causing Darcy to jump in surprise. I glanced up from my seat as she answered the door. Standing at the entrance was a young looking man, probably in his early twenties. Last time I checked we didn't order any food. So this obviously wasn't a delivery.

"Um... hi, I'm Ian Boothby... I'm looking for Darcy Lewis," he greeted Darcy opened the door even wider.

"Oh hi, that would be me!" She glanced over her shoulder, and noticing my confusion she quickly explained, "He's my new intern!"

That didn't make any sense. I thought Darcy already was an intern? I wasn't entirely familiar with those terms, but didn't you need to have some kind of profession to have an intern? I doubted Darcy was even responsible enough to have an intern.

Darcy led Ian over to the kitchen where a mass of dirty dishes had made themselves at home. While she instructed him on cleaning the dishes, I took the chance to check up on the outside world. For the most part I'd stayed inside while on my own. Plus this would be a good chance to chat with Beck.

All in all Darcy had been very curious about him. She didn't know about the Grid but she did know that Beck wasn't from our world. Luckily she didn't question where he came from. Jane hadn't even bothered asking as she was too busy studying scientific phenomenons.

As I sat outside on the balcony I took note of the people walking by. It was cold and gloomy out. By now I'd gotten used to London's cloudy weather. That was just part of their lives as far as I was concerned. And I was just a visitor.

Taking a deep breath I pulled out the tablet Tony had given me and switched it on. It didn't take long for Beck to answer. Because he was working alongside Tony and Sam, it gave him a chance to take breaks more often. Unlike Tron they weren't nearly as strict, which was probably a good thing for Beck's sake.

"Is it that time already?" I raised an eyebrow when Beck answered it, grinning sheepishly as he looked back at me.

"Nice to see you too, bitbrain," I retorted. "How's work going?" A loud clang sounded in the background as I asked that. Beck turned to see Tony muttering a few curses before looking back at me.

"Not bad, for the most part," he replied. "Thanks to Bodhi's tool we've managed to create a few new vehicles that work similar to the ones on the Grid."

That was why Tony wanted to merge companies. Being able to design such vehicles would create more Earth friendly methods of transportation, whatever that meant. All I knew was that Tony had given me a prototype version of a light cycle. He wanted to know whether or not it would work without the Grid thanks to the codes Beck had designed for him. Having three geniuses in the same room wasn't exactly a good idea now that I thought about.

"When do you think production will be finished?" I may not be familiar with those kind of terms but I was quickly learning thanks to Tony. I couldn't help but wince when an explosion suddenly sounded in the background, followed by a stream of more curses.

"That might take longer than we thought," Beck replied while fighting back a fit of laughter. "I should uh... probably go," he added when Tony noticed that he was laughing.

"Try not to get yourself blown up." I smirked when Tony stuck his tongue out like an angry child. Remind me again how he made his fortune? Beck just grinned before the screen went black once more.

On the plus side it was good to see that things were picking up. For a while it took Sam some time to agree with Tony's idea. Even Alan Bradley seemed more than happy to make more energy efficient vehicles that were affordable for average citizens.

"Hey, check this out!" Ian was sitting on the sofa after washing all the dishes in what I thought to be inhuman speed. Darcy was busy looking at something on the table when he turned up the volume on the TV.

The news broadcasting showed images of a famous national park known as Stonehenge. And of course it was showing something that made me want to wash my eyes out. Someone was streaking in the public. And that someone happened to be Dr. Erik Selvig. On the plus side all the unpleasant body parts were blocked out, but that was something I could never _unsee_.

"I'm here at Stonehenge for what happens to be an interesting unfolding of events today," the news reporter explained. "The police reported the scene shortly after 11 AM this morning, after a seemingly harmless rambler approached the area and started to strip naked, than terrorized there with scientific equipment while shouting that he was trying to save them. The man, later identified as noted Astrophysicist Dr. Erik Selvig, has been called into questioning by the police."

Wait, wasn't he brainwashed by Loki when he waged war on Earth? I remembered Natasha mentioning it when we were still getting to know each other. My eyes widened as I thought of how lucky Clint was that he didn't end up like Selvig.

But hey, at least we knew Selvig was okay. And apparently naked. I didn't even want to think of that now.

"Oh, we have got to find Jane and tell her about this," Darcy said after a commercial turned on.

"Do you even know where she is?" Ian asked.

She had mentioned going out to study some kind of scientific phenomenon. Though something told me that this was more than just about studying phenomenons. When she left she had been wearing a fancy outfit and hadn't taken any of her equipment with her.

Just as I thought of that one of the scientific equipments Jane had scattered around the apartment went off. Darcy jumped at the source of the noise, while Ian raised an eyebrow. Anomalies like these happened rarely. I'm guessing that's why Darcy was so surprised as she started banging the toaster against the wall.

"I don't think you're supposed to do that," I pointed out while trying not to laugh. Jane would not be happy if she saw what Darcy was doing to her equipment.

"Hey, do you know how to turn this thing off?" Darcy looked between me and Ian, we both just shrugged in response. "Where the heck is Jane when you need her?"

"Dunno, she mentioned something about going out earlier," I explained. "Something about meeting with a Richard guy..." I paused and suddenly recalled that she was the one who had helped Thor during his banishment to Earth. Wasn't it Clint who had been called on that mission?

I wonder why Jane suddenly started meeting with someone else. If I remembered correctly than she was Thor's girlfriend, or something along those lines. Than I reminded myself that Thor hasn't seen Jane in quite a long time. Maybe this was her way of getting past the fact that he might have forgotten about her.

"Perhaps those readings are important," Ian suggested as Darcy complained about the signal not turning off.

Darcy looked at Ian as if he'd made the dumbest suggestion of the century. Than she studied the instrument for a few more seconds before her eyes widened. I wasn't around when the signal went off last time in New Mexico. All I knew was that Mjölnir, or Thor's hammer, had ended up being found in the area along with Thor himself. And Jane was the one who had first discovered those readings.

"Oh my God, these readings are exactly like the ones in New Mexico, and the ones Erik was rambling about!" Darcy suddenly exclaimed.

"Do you know where Jane is?" I eyed the device warily. I've gotten used to being surrounded by technology thanks to my time on the Grid. But this device was something Jane had made herself. It was a toaster strapped with scientific equipment.

"She's on her date with that Richard dude," Darcy replied with the biggest grins. "We _so_ have to crash that date!"

Wasn't that rude? Beck and I have only been on a few dates. We weren't exactly the 'dating' type. The closest we'd ever gotten to a romantic evening was that dinner with the Avengers. And of course having Clint and Natasha watching our every move didn't help matters.

This was going to get interesting.

. . .

_"Is Vanaheim secure?"_

_"As are Nornheim and Ria, though our work would have gone more quickly with you there in battle."_

_"You must think that I am a piece of bread that needs to be buttered so heavily."_

_"That was not my intent."_

_"For the first time since the Bifrost was destroyed, the Nine Realms are at peace. We are well reminded of our strength and you have earned their respect, and, my gratitude."_

_"Thank you."_

_"Nothing out of order except for your confused and distracted heart."_

_"This is not about Jane Foster, father."_

_"Human lives are fleeting; they're nothing. You'd be better served by what lies in front of you. I'm telling you this not as the All-Father, but as your father. You are ready, the time has come for you to take the throne. Embrace, celebrate what you have won. Join your warriors, eat, and drink, revel in their celebration. At least pretend to enjoy yourself."_

* * *

**AN: Apologies for not updating sooner. I got a bit distracted ^^ On the plus side the interview went well. At least I think it did. Best part is I can walk to the job if I get it, so I wouldn't have to worry about transportation. Big thanks to 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

"_Hi."_

_"Hi."_

_"So what's the story with you?"_

_"Why does there have to be a story, there's no story."_

_"You've spent the first ten minutes of our dating time behind a menu that has three choices on it. It's either chicken, vegetarian or fish, Jane. I think there's a story and I'm thinking it's the story involves a guy?"_

_"It's complicated."_

_"Is he around?"_

_"No he... went away."_

_"I've been there. The going away, it's hard. I'd been seeing a woman and uh... she took a job in New York, and eventually the distance killed it. And... and the fact that she uh... she kept sleeping with with other dudes."_

_"No!"_

_"Oh, so many!_"

. . .

I've seen some crazy drivers since returning to the User world. At one time I thought Tony was the worst of them all. His driving had scared the crap out of me when I was forced to tag along with him.

Darcy's driving made Tony look like a saint. She kept swerving in and out of the traffic as she drove on the wrong side of the road. Ian was shouting to stay on the right side while I held on for dear life. I'm sure my nails already left dents in the seats.

By the time Darcy did reach our destination (amazingly with no dents or scratches), she pulled over to what looked like a fancy restaurant. Ian waited inside while she led me up the stairs. I almost felt sorry for the intern. He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

A stuck-up doorman was guarding the entrance as we reached the doors. It took Darcy a few minutes to talk him into letting us through. All the while I was holding onto the device, the beeping noise getting louder. Darcy just stared at the device in surprise as the reading levels spiked up.

"Huh, it's never done that before," she muttered as we managed to get past the doorman.

That was weird. Maybe because of my time spent on the Grid caused the energy level to spike up. Either way I wasn't really ready to find out.

As soon as we got inside I noticed that were both badly under dressed. People were giving us odd looks as we walked past them, to the table the doorman had directed us to. I hated dressing up. And this was living proof of why I hated it. Give me a sweater, long pants and a pair of gloves that covered my hands and I was perfectly fine.

Jane was sitting at a small table, back against us with her face buried in a menu. I didn't miss the fact that the menu only had three meals to choose from. Restaurants like these were usually very expensive. Another reason to hate restaurants like these.

"Excuse me, may we have a drink?" I looked at Richard in disbelief. Did I seriously look like a waitress? Amusement was obvious on Darcy's face as he finally looked up at us.

"Sure I'd love some," Darcy replied with the biggest grins.

If Jane was annoyed she didn't show it as Darcy gestured for me to join her in sitting down. Now I was beginning to see why Ian had waited outside. This was beyond rude if you ask me. I wouldn't barge in on a date if it was Tony and Pepper.

Just looking at Jane told me that she was finally letting her frustration show. Her cheeks were a dark shade of read as Darcy grabbed a bread stick placed in a basket on the table. I can understand her anger. I'd feel the same way of Clint suddenly dropped in on me, which he has several times before. Believe me when I say that it's annoying.

Jane cleared her throat before introducing us, "Richard, this is Darcy-" she nodded towards Darcy, who was still grinning sheepishly, "And this is Mira."

"Oh, hello," Richard said after realizing we were not in fact waitresses.

"What are you doing here?" Jane demanded, voice full of embarrassment and anger.

Darcy than explained what was going on with the equipment. I could imagine how confused Richard was getting as she went over the studies that Selvig had been talking about a few days ago. I've never actually met Selvig in person. By the time I arrived he was already gone. That was probably a good thing.

"Right. You know that scientific equipment you don't look at anymore?" Darcy held up the device I was holding earlier. It was still making that obnoxious noise. "You might wanna start looking at it now."

Jane stared at her in surprise as Darcy handed the device to her. I noticed that the energy levels had returned to what they were like before we left the apartment. That was good news. I'm sure Jane would be spazzing out if she knew I was the cause behind the energy readings spiking up.

"We did come all the way out here just to show you this," I put in as Jane raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Hesitantly Jane stared fumbling around with it. By now that annoying noise had finally stopped. But the readings stayed the same as she struggled to figure out what was going on.

"It's malfunctioning!" she announced.

"That's what I said!" Darcy muttered under her breath.

Richard flinched when Jane suddenly whacked the device violently, trying to get it to work again. People were starting to look in our direction, annoyed that their peaceful meals were being disturbed.

"That's what she did too," I pointed out as Jane banged the device against the table.

It was almost amusing watching Jane figure out what was going on. Her expression reminded me of how frustrated Tron would get when something wasn't working out right. Speaking of which, I wondered how things were going on the Grid. Kind of a random time to think about it, considering all that's happened in the past few weeks.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she finally muttered after giving up.

She didn't look too convinced, and even Richard looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

This wasn't going to get us anywhere. More than likely Jane would change her mind in a few minutes. With a sigh I got up and tugged at Darcy's sleeve. "We should probably go," I murmured halfheartedly. Maybe it was the guilt that made me uncomfortable.

Darcy just looked disappointed as she grabbed the device and stood up. We placed the chairs back where Darcy had grabbed them and left. I sure hoped Jane would forgive us for embarrassing her.

. . .

"_Short but sweet."_

_"Yeah... they need help."_

_"I think I'm gonna have the sea bass."_

_"Sea bass. Yeah, sea bass is good... sea bass, sea bass, sea bass, sea bass, sea bass... sea bass, sea bass. Sea bass..."_

_"Jane, maybe you should stop saying sea bass and go with your friends."_

_"... This was so much fun."_

_"You know, I'll just sit here and say sea bass alone._"

. . .

I have never felt more embarrassed in my life. Except for the time when the Avengers threw a surprise party for me. At the time I was with Beck, and the shock that followed was what Clint would later say, "A priceless picture." And of course I had never felt more embarrassed than.

But the moment was short lived as we sat in the car. We were parked further away from the restaurant this time. Darcy was sitting up front, me sitting beside Ian as he leaned against his seat. I was thankful I brought my iPod along. Listening to music was always a favorite past time, especially when I could put the volume at full blast and ignore everyone around me.

The iPod was one of those things I wish had been around on the Grid when I was younger. I was always fascinated with music. That was part of the reason I had become a part-time DJ at the End of Line club for a short while. I learned to mix music together while programs could only play certain tunes. There was so much to learn and do on the Grid at the time.

"**Feeling my way through the darkness, Guided by a beating heart, I can't tell where the journey will end, But I know where to start They tell me I'm too young to understand, They say I'm caught up in a dream, Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes, Well that's fine by me So wake me up when it's all over, When I'm wiser and I'm older, All this time I was finding myself, And I didn't know I was lost...**"

It didn't take long for Jane to come walking out of the restaurant. She still looked annoyed, but I noticed that it was quickly replaced with curiosity. As soon as she looked in our direction I turned off my iPod and stuffed it in a pocket.

"I hate you," she muttered as she got into the car.

"What, I thought he was cute!" Darcy defended herself as she straightened up and started the car.

"Just shut up and drive," Jane snapped.

"Aye aye Captain!"

. . .

In a matter of hours we stopped at an abandoned warehouse. All at once I was reminded of the old days on the Grid. This was where the Revolutionists had formed and made their base. Well, it wasn't the exact building, but we had used an abandoned warehouse to start out.

I'm not sure why we stopped here. Something about the readings and coordinates having some kind of match. I wasn't even sure what that meant for us. But I suppose we were about to find out.

As we got out I had the eerie feeling that we weren't alone. Or that we were supposed to be doing this. Warehouses were abandoned for a reason, right?

Around us the sky was a dark, ominous gray. A cool breeze made me pull up my sweater. It was obvious that rain was on it's way, but hopefully it would hold off until we were finished.

"What exactly are we doing here?" I asked as Jane stood beside me, staring at the warehouse.

"This is where the signals are coming from," she explained. I didn't think there was anything special about this place. Other than bringing back memories of the Grid. I wonder if Jane ever knew about the Grid. If she did she gave no indications of knowing about it.

There was something about this place I didn't like. I've done a lot of exploring in my younger days, and even I knew that this wasn't right.

"Come on, this is exciting! Look, even the intern is excited!" Darcy pointed out. I just rolled my eyes while the 'intern' repeated that his name was Ian.

And truth be told Ian did not look happy. I bet he's regretting taking that internship now.

"Come on intern, it's this way." Darcy was leading the way with Jane and I close behind.

The building really did seem eerie as we got closer. Remind me again why I tagged along? I could be using this time to explore the rest of the city. Or making sure I didn't receive a surprise phone call from Clint.

As we got inside I noticed that we were not alone. The sound of feet scuffling against the floor caught my attention. Living on the Grid I was always forced to stay on the edge. Instinct kicked in and I had to restrain myself from using the new light sword Natasha had given me.

"I am not getting stabbed in the name of science," Darcy commented as we saw shadows moving in what looked like an old office.

Yeah, I'm down with that. The more I thought about it the more uncomfortable I got. We shouldn't be here. If we got caught we'd be arrested. And I wasn't ready for prison, at least not yet.

I was careful not to make any noise as I backed away from the three. While they were distracted I decided to do my own investigation. That eerie feeling kept coming back as I went further inside. I'm not even sure why I was so nervous. It was just an abandoned warehouse after all.

Maybe the Tesseract was reacting to the energy readings Jane had mentioned earlier. Bruce had mentioned more than once that my blood had somehow fused with the Tesseract energy. He had also said that it might have been because of the Tesseract that I was able to fight off the repurposing caused by Dyson.

Have I really changed that much? When I was on the Grid I would've jumped headfirst into a battle. No questions asked if it meant defending the programs that needed help. When I had returned to the User world my life changed dramatically.

I found out that my parents were top assassins who were part of an organization known as SHIELD. And that the Tesseract was somehow coursing through my body. If I admitted all of that to Jane I'm pretty sure she'd slap me to kingdom come.

Taking a deep breath I decided it was time to check on the three. It seemed like hours passed before anything happened. I really hoped nothing had happened to them. As a SHIELD agent I really should have stayed and helped them. I was trained for cases like these.

I started jogging back to where I'd last seen them. And to my surprise Darcy and Ian were standing on the fourth floor with a bunch of kids. They must have been the ones we thought were going to attack. And I was even more surprised to see them throwing random things.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I reached them.

"Throwing things down!" Darcy exclaimed. "You gotta check this out!"

Throwing random objects... Curiosity got the better of me as I watched her throw down an empty bottle of juice. As she did so the bottle suddenly disappeared. Moments later it repaired and fell through again, repeating the process a few times before one of the children caught it.

"Wow, I've never seen that before," I murmured. Glancing around, Darcy grabbed something randomly laying on the ground. I watched with interest as the keys were dropped through what I guessed was a portal of some kind. We looked up and they keys never returned. "Were those the car keys?" I suddenly asked.

. . .

"_You're late."_

_"Merriment can sometimes be a heavier burden than battle."_

_"Then you are doing one of them incorrectly."_

_"Perhaps. How fare the stars?"_

_"Still shining. From here I can see Nine Realms and ten trillion souls. Do you recall what I told you of the Convergence?"_

_"Yes. The alignment of the worlds. It approaches, does it not?"_

_"The universe has not seen this marvel since before my watch began. Few can sense it, even fewer can see it. A world that's infected can be dangerous. It is truly beautiful."_

_"I see nothing."_

_"Or perhaps that is not the beauty you seek."_

_"How is she?"_

_"She is quite clever, your mortal. She does not know it yet, but she too studies the Convergence. Even..."_

_"What?"_

_"I cannot see her._"

* * *

**AN: Hooray for early updates :D Yeah, I couldn't resist. So, thanks to 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing. Really great to hear what everyone thinks of this so far :)**

**Lyrics come from the song Wake Me Up by Aloe Blacc. Awesome song if you ask me ^^**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"Where is Miss Foster?"

The intern stood there while we waited, still looking down at the device every now and than. He looked more embarrassed than anything else, considering he was the one who had tossed the car keys. But he was still new to all of this. He couldn't possibly know that they wouldn't come back.

I suddenly wondered if these portals were similar to the ones that had appeared on the Grid so many months ago. If they were than more than just people could be getting through them. That thought alone made me want to see whether or not the Grid was still in stable condition. If what I thought was true than programs might be disappearing again.

A shudder coursed through me as I thought of that. The last time programs started disappearing was when Dyson had tried taking over. It wasn't something I enjoyed thinking about. All I could remember were bits and pieces of what he had done.

Of course as soon as I thought about it the nightmares returned. While I may not have been able to see what was going on, I was well aware of what Dyson was doing. And that thought alone had terrified me more than anything else. I couldn't fight the repurposing.

"Mira, you okay?" My thoughts were shaken as Darcy tugged on my sleeve. "You kind of spaced out there for a moment," she added as I blinked in surprise.

"Oh, sorry," I murmured. "You mentioned something about Jane not coming back?" It took me a few seconds to recall why I had spaced out in the first place.

"She said she wanted to check out something," Darcy explained.

The kids that were hanging around us earlier had disappeared. My guess was they didn't want to be caught by the police if they suddenly showed up.

"And I'm guessing that was about an hour ago, right?" Thinking back on it, it did seem strange. She should be back by now, unless she was caught up in her research. Which was very possible. I remember there were times when Bruce had refused to leave the lab for hours on end just get a project finished.

"Yup," she replied, her lips making a popping noise.

"Maybe we should give her a call?" Ian suggested, holding up an old looking cellphone.

Why hadn't we thought of that sooner? Darcy just took the phone and dialed it after turning on the speaker after pressing a few numbers. The phone began ringing and beeped three times before it was finally picked up.

"The number you are calling is currently unavailable."

"You would think Jane would be smart enough to turn on her phone," I muttered.

Actually I'm surprised I haven't gotten any phone calls. Usually my phone was ringing off the hook by now if I didn't answer it sooner.

"I don't know," Darcy admitted. "She doesn't even know how to switch ringtones."

Oh wow. And I thought Steve was committed to the Twentieth Century. You would think that being the scientist she was Jane would at least know how to work a cellphone. I suppose all that research hasn't given her the chance to.

If this was anything like the events that unfolded in New Mexico, than something was about to happen. The readings were eerily similar to the ones back in New Mexico. Which meant that we should have been looking out for one another.

Than again I could be worrying about nothing. I knew that Jane could care less about SHIELD after what they had done to her. If we called now for help than SHIELD might just show up. And that would be disastrous, especially if my parents showed up. I could already imagine trying to explain myself and my reasons for trespassing on private property.

"I think we should look for Jane," I suggested nervously.

"But she might come back here."

The intern suddenly grabbed a sticky note and wrote something down, basically telling Jane that we were looking for her and would be back. If she should return than she could wait in this spot and call us.

"We should split up and look for her, we'll cover more ground that way. If we don't find anything within an hour we can call the police," I explained.

This was what we had done as a training exercise for SHIELD. During the first couple of months we would go on random search and rescue missions. Whoever was missing would give out a random call and we would split up in teams of two. One partner would be looking out for danger while the other would be looking for the agent in need of rescuing.

It was simple yet effective.

Well, it was time to start looking for a certain Astrophysicist.

. . .

For the next fifty minutes I scoured the area. Without prying eyes watching I looked in the hard-to-reach areas, swinging across gaping holes when I needed to. It might not be the best place to look, but than again Jane might have fallen through them.

By now I was exhausted, and I'm sure Darcy and Ian were as well. I reached the meeting spot just as Ian and Darcy did. The two were still trying to catch their breaths while I waited, looking back at the old building.

"How are you not out of breath?" Darcy gasped as she finally recovered.

"Years of practice," I replied with a shrug.

She just stared at me skeptically before we decided to try calling again. By now I was beginning to wonder if we should call SHIELD. At least Fury would be able to track Jane down with ease. Than again she'd be pissed if she found out what we were up to.

A few more minutes passed before we reached the answering machine again. Darcy looked like she was ready to give up, glaring at the phone as if that would provoke Jane into answering.

I just hope that nothing bad happened to Jane. Thor would never forgive us if she was hurt. I may have only met him once or twice but he was not someone I'd want on my bad side.

"Maybe we should call the police," Ian suggested.

"Is that our only option?" I bit the bottom of my lip. I wasn't looking forward to facing the police.

First off I wasn't even sure what we would tell them when they arrived. Second of all I was not going to hear the end of it if Clint or Natasha found out. And knowing the police they would be giving my parents a phone call.

Yeah, we were doing some urban research on the abandoned warehouse. Sorry for trespassing, it's not like we were stealing anything. Oh, by the way, one of our friends disappeared while studying a scientific phenomenon.

I'm sure the police would by that excuse. Yep, that would go well.

If we said that they'd likely call in a special task force which would eventually lead to SHIELD getting involved. Even though I'm off duty I knew I would still have to assist them. This was not going to end well.

. . .

"Your names."

"Darcy Lewis."

"Ian Boothby."

"Mira... Barton."

The police officer raised an eyebrow skeptically as I answered reluctantly.

"Right, may I see your IDs?"

Ian immediately pulled out his ID while Darcy did the same. After a few more minutes passed the officer finally glanced at me. Since I had my SHIELD badge I never really needed an ID. Here in the User world an ID was similar to an Identity Disk, only they couldn't access your memories. Which was probably a good thing.

_Have fun lying your way out of this one_, I thought to myself.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out the badge and quickly flashed it to the police officer questioning us. His eyes widened in surprise when he realized _who_ I was working for. Luckily he didn't question my motives as he scribbled down a few more notes.

Once that was finished I quickly hid my badge so that Darcy or Ian wouldn't notice. My shoulders sagged in relief when they went back to questioning Darcy on what had happened. Since she was the one who made the call and the fact that she was studying political science made her the ideal person to talk with.

I did wonder why the police asked for our names. Wasn't it Jane they were supposed to be looking for? The officer that had asked for our names kept looking in my direction, and I could swear I saw him smirk in the slightest ways.

Am I the only one creeped out by that?

It seemed like nobody else had noticed. With a sigh of frustration I decided it was better to ignore the looks. Maybe I was just being over observant. Part of that had come from my training. Always look for signs that the enemy might attack.

As I watched the building I noticed that the rain was finally beginning to fall. The wind picked up, and it felt as though it was pulling me towards the building. Nervously I glanced over my shoulder. The police officers were still busy scoping out the area, too distracted to notice me.

Without even thinking about it my feet were already moving towards the building. Hopefully they wouldn't notice that I was missing. This was my only chance to see if my theory was true.

. . .

To be honest I was actually fond of this building. I'm not even sure why. Even though it was creepy and had that sense of danger to it, the walls held history to them. Like what was the building used for and why was it abandoned?

That term 'if walls could talk' always had me thinking. I bet they'd have a lot of interesting stories to share. And it would scare the crap out of people. But nonetheless I did find history more fascinating than science. You could always learn from history. And there was always something _to_ learn from it.

People used to work here. This building supported families for many years. Than something went wrong and they shut it down. The people that worked here moved on and found new jobs or were too old to work. Life moved on. But the building itself was never forgotten.

Wow, that sounded really philosophical. I don't know what made me think of that. But as my hands brushed against the walls I could imagine what this place was like during it's heyday.

It wasn't until I let go of the wall that I realized something _was_ happening. As I wandered forward my feet felt like they were getting heavier. It was harder to move the further I went.

My eyes squinted as something bright illuminated the building. My first thought was to run away. The last time I had done this the Tesseract somehow found it's home in my blood. There was no way I was letting something like that happen to me again.

But this light was different. Somehow it wasn't threatening to me in a way the Tesseract light had been. Instead it was warm and peaceful, almost as if inviting me to move forward and reach out to it. At first I was reluctant to, reminding myself that this was dangerous. I could almost feel the energy radiating from it. The light reminded me so much of the light that came from the Portal on the Grid.

The Portal was like a beacon of hope for programs. Maybe this light was like a beacon for Users. I took a deep breath and decided to take the risk. The closer I got the stronger the energy became.

And that's about when I realized what the light was. It was a rainbow light. A rainbow light that illuminated the building, leading me to someplace new. I looked around, the light nearly blinding me as I squinted my eyes.

I really should've told Darcy where I was going. Now not only did she have Jane to worry about but she probably noticed I was missing as well. But if I went back now I wouldn't see this light again.

That was when my phone suddenly began to ring. Pulling it out of my pocket I noticed that it wasn't Clint calling this time. Darcy must have finally noticed that I was missing. For a moment I was tempted to ignore the call, but than I decided that wasn't a good idea.

As I pressed the button to answer the call, I almost dropped my phone in the process. The inside of the building was no longer in front of me. Whatever interior walls had kept me safe from the outside world were gone.

When the phone finally picked up I only received a message telling me that my service was out of range. All I could do was glare at the phone before I finally noticed _where_ I was standing. This was definitely not the User world, or the Grid for that matter.

Where the heck was I?

The streets were so different that it took me a few minutes to think it over. Even the nearby buildings had an heir that this place was much older than the Earth itself.

I straightened myself up and dusted off the dirt that collected on my clothing. Well, I suppose I should start trying to figure out where I was. If this place was anything like the Grid - I really hoped it wasn't - than I might be stuck here for a long time.

. . .

"_Jane, where the hell were you? And is Mira with you?"_

_"What, no she's not. Didn't she stay with you?"_

_"Me, Mira and the intern went looking all over for you! But now we can't find Mira either..."_

_"Tell me you didn't call the police!"_

_"What were we supposed to do?"_

_"Not call the police!"_

_"We were freaking out!"_

_"You call the cops, they call the feds. Next thing you know we have SHIELD crawling all over the area fiftyoneing the place."_

_"Jane!"_

_"We had a stable gratification anomaly, we had unheeded access. Our only competition was ten years old!"_

_"Jane, you were gone for five hours! And Mira isn't back yet."_

_"What?_"

* * *

**AN: Another update :) I couldn't resist posting this now. Had an awesome time at the High Tea with everyone at church. It's a huge deal for us since everyone from the area comes and joins us. Anywho, a big thanks to 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

It felt like hours had passed as I wandered on. I wasn't sure how time worked in this world - whether or not it was anything like the Grid I would never know. Or at least that was what I suspected. This place felt like it had come right out of a fairytale. Huge ancient trees surrounded the area where there wasn't pavement. The buildings I'd seen earlier were like those of ancient times - simple and yet elegant.

This was one of those times I wished I had followed my instincts. Earlier my mind had been screaming at me to go back and wait with Darcy and the intern. Some kind of force had drawn me into the building, and that's when it all went wrong.

What I wanted to know was if there were any residents among these dwellings. Surely they wouldn't just build homes and than abandon them? Than again I've seen plenty of stories - such as Chernobyl. It was once a great city where people spent their lives without fear. Than the disaster happened. Something went wrong in the nuclear power plant, and people had to abandon the city. Though something told me that wasn't what was happening here.

It seemed the farther I went the more buildings began to replace the forest, and the older the buildings looked. I was so used to seeing the roads bustling with activity that it was almost eerie to see how empty this path was. I wasn't even sure if this was a road.

Maybe now would be a good time to test out that prototype light cycle Tony and Beck had designed. It would get me around faster if I could make it work. According to Tony it should be able to function without the Grid. Though I still had my doubts, and as I reached for the baton I decided to keep it strapped to my waste.

As I got farther down the path I began to finally notice something odd. A few people were wandering outside. But they were like nothing I had ever seen before. These people were dressed in clothing that made me look like I had come from the slums. They looked in all like they had stepped out of a modeling magazine. Now I really felt out of place.

"The land is finally at peace, and now we can take the time to relax." I paused at the sound of a conversation. Glancing over my shoulder I noticed that a woman with long dark brown hair was sitting near the edge of a fountain. Strapped to her waste was a sword, and it was difficult not to stare when I realized that the fountain was made of gold.

"Aye... Lady Sif, do you not believe it is time for you to find your true love?" Lady Sif... somehow that name sounded oddly familiar. Sitting beside her was a taller man, with a long beard that looked like it could use a trim or two.

"Volstagg, you and I both know that I do not have time for that," Lady Sif replied. She paused as she finally took notice of me standing there, probably looking like an idiot. "Are you lost?" The question caught me by surprise.

"Um... yeah," I finally murmured. "Do you possibly know where I am?"

Of course _they_ knew where I was. I felt like a bitbrain for asking the question. But it was Bruce who told me that asking questions was always the best way to learn new things.

"How could you _not_ know where you are?" Volstagg asked.

"You are on Asgard," Lady Sif replied while shooting Volstagg a glare. The man in question only let out a bark of laughter as Lady Sif stood up and introduced herself. "As you have likely already heard, I am Lady Sif," she explained as we shook hands. "And this is Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three."

My eyes widened in disbelief at her explanation. I was on Asgard? What was I supposed to tell Darcy and Jane if they ever managed to reach me? I shuddered as I thought of what to say to Clint and Natasha when they found out.

"Mira," I introduced myself warily.

"Mira?" Volstagg repeated. His eyes lit up with recognition, as if my name had sparked some kind of memory. "Ah, Thor has mentioned your name more than once before," he added.

Wow, I never knew I was so popular. Even Lady Sif seemed to recognize me. I wonder how much Thor has told them about me. Really we only met once or twice. The first time was to show him the Grid, and the second time was to get to know one another better.

"He has also mentioned that you share blood with two of Earth's Mightiest Heroes," Lady Sif put in.

That comment was enough to make me blush. Director Fury had explained everything to Thor the moment he paid SHIELD a visit. Let's just say that the surprise on Thor's face was a Kodiak moment.

"You mean the Avengers," I corrected her.

"The 'Avengers'... I like it!" Volstagg exclaimed. "You should come with us and meet the rest of the Warriors Three," he added after contemplating over those words.

For a moment I was taken aback by what he said. Lady Sif was already walking away, towards a set of buildings that stood above the rest. I suppose meeting the rest of their small group wouldn't be so bad. I was already taken to another world. I might as well meet the people that called this place home.

. . .

"_Jane."_

_"Sorry, I just had to make sure that you were real. It's been a very weird day."_

_"Well, I am. Jane-"_

_"Where were you?"_

_"Where were you? Heimdall could not see you."_

_"I was right here where you left me. I was waiting and then I was crying, and then I went looking for you. You said you were coming back."_

_"I know, I know. But the Bifrost was destroyed. The Nine Realms erupted into chaos, wars were waging, marauders were pillaging. I had to put an end to the slaughter."_

_"As excuses go... that's not terrible. But I saw you on TV. You were in New York!"_

_"Jane, I fought to protect you from the dangers of my world. But I was wrong. I was a fool... I believe that fate has brought us together, Jane. I do not know where you were or what happened, but I do know this..."_

_"What?"_

_"I know."_

_"You do?_"

. . .

I've spent most of my life exploring. Back when I was on the Grid I explored every city I could. When I returned to the User world I took every opportunity I had to explore it. I learned from a young age that exploring was the best way to get on with life.

To me Asgard was just another land to explore. Like the Grid it was full of danger, I was sure. But I wasn't going to let that keep me away.

Lady Sif and Volstagg remained oddly quiet as they led the way towards what I assumed was the palace. I may not know much about Asgard but Thor did tell me that was where he had grown up. Alongside his brother Loki.

Just the thought of Loki alone made me cringe inwardly. I'd heard so many stories about the God of Mischief. When he tried taking over the User world he killed so many people. He had taken over the minds of many, Clint's included among them. Let's just say Clint was not very forgiving of what Loki had done to him. And after what had happened to me, I couldn't blame him.

What I saw next made me stare in disbelief. The Rainbow Bridge stretched before me. At least I thought that it was the Rainbow Bridge. Towards the end of the bridge was a large dome, and that was where we were headed.

After discussing with Volstagg that meeting the others was not a wise idea and that I should be taken to see Heimdall, Volstagg had bowed and said his goodbyes. I've only heard about Heimdall once or twice from Thor. And if what I heard was true, than I was actually looking forward to meeting him in person.

It didn't take us long to reach the dome where Heimdall would be waiting. The building itself was beautiful. Placed in the center was a mechanism of some kind. I assumed this was how Heimdall opened and closed the portal. Speaking of Heimdall, said Gatekeeper was standing in the middle of the room.

Heimdall looked like a sentinel keeping watch over his kingdom. His eyes were cold, yet they held a wisdom in them that made me wonder just how old he really was. Being the Gatekeeper meant he had seen all and knew all. Which meant he already knew who I was without even having to introduce myself.

"Welcome to Asgard, Marie Barton." I stiffened as he said my full name. Lady Sif stood beside me while Heimdall finally looked down at me. Now I really felt short compared to him. He probably towered over Tron.

"Hi," I said, half embarrassed and half annoyed.

"I sensed your arrival long before it happened. The alignment of the planets is approaching, and the passageways between worlds have opened."

Alignment of the planets? Why did that sound so familiar? And passageways between worlds have opened... That made me wonder if new Portals on the Grid were opening up. Heimdall seemed to know what I was worrying about before I could ask anything.

"The world you know as the Grid is safe from this spectacle," he explained. He looked amused as I let out a sigh of relief.

"Where is Thor?" Lady Sif broke the uneasy silence that followed.

"Prince Thor has left for Midgard," Heimdall told her.

"Why?"

"Jane Foster has disappeared from my watch."

That much I could gather. Where ever she went she must have gotten away from Heimdall's prying eyes. In a way he was a lot like Tron, always keeping watch over the Nine Realms. So I'd imagine he must have felt frustrated not being able to see everything, just like I'd managed to slip away from Tron.

"Do you know what happened?" I asked.

I thought it was cute how worried Thor got. In a way Thor and Beck were a lot alike, always making sure that we didn't get into any trouble. Both were of course willing to risk their lives to keep us safe. But the major difference was I actually knew how to defend myself, and I wasn't about to let anyone baby me.

"I could not see Jane Foster for five hours."

That made me raise an eyebrow in surprise. Is that how much time had passed? I'd lost track of it since I got here.

It wasn't the first time that had happened. And it definitely wouldn't be the last. I was surprised I hadn't bought a watch yet. Though it would be awesome if they came out with a watch that would adjust to whatever timezone you were in. Preferably one that switched how time worked in different worlds.

While Heimdall and Lady Sif were still discussing the matter at hand, I had to wonder where Jane had possibly disappeared to. If she wasn't on Earth than it was possible she had gotten through a portal like me. And if that was the case than she could be on Asgard right now.

But that didn't explain why Heimdall couldn't see her.

"Excuse me, Heimdall," I said once he was finished speaking with Lady Sif. "If you can see just about everything than how could Jane have disappeared from your vision for five hours? It just doesn't make any sense."

Lady Sif stiffened as Heimdall looked at me in surprise. It was a look that told me I might have crossed the lines.

"Why do you not ask her yourself?" he asked after contemplating for an answer.

I would if I was back on Earth. Unfortunately for the time being I was stuck here for whatever reason. But as I thought that Heimdall sheathed his sword and pushed it into what looked like a lock of some kind.

The golden gates suddenly opened, and I had to squint my eyes so that I was blinded by the bright light filtering through them. The light reminded me so much of the light that was given off by the Portal on the Grid. To programs it was like a beacon that gave them hope for a better future. Here it just meant that someone was arriving through a portal.

Seconds later and the light began to fade, revealing two familiar figures. My eyes widened in disbelief as I recognized Thor. And clinging on to him for dear life was Jane Foster. She looked just as amazed as I did and was trying to take in everything at once.

As soon as she spotted him Lady Sif joined Thor. He seemed not so pleased to see her, much to my surprise. And here I thought they were good friends. Jane's eyes fell upon mine when she realized that she was not alone with Thor.

"Mira?"

"Welcome to Asgard."

. . .

"_Look at my legacy, Algrim. I barely remember the time before light."_

_"Our survival will be your legacy."_

_"The Asgardians will suffer as we have suffered. I will reclaim the Aether. I will restore our world and put an end to this poisonous world._"

* * *

**AN: Ehehe, this was a fun chapter to write. It seems everyone gets a little surprised when they find out about Mira's parentage... not that I can blame 'em ;) Thanks 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing. You guys are awesome :D**


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

"How the hell did you end up here?" Jane demanded as an awkward silence fell upon us. Thor looked just as surprised as she did when he finally noticed me.

"I may have found a portal that led me here," I explained with a shrug. "Where exactly were you? We looked for two hours!"

"Mira, it is good to see you again," Thor cut in before Jane could answer. Her eyes widened even more if that was possible. Than she glared as she realized that we had met before. Now I was wishing a portal would open up and swallow me again.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Yep, now would be a great time for a portal to open up. So much for being able to keep my cover. Maybe I should take on Natasha's offer of teaching me some spy techniques.

"Aye, Mira is the daughter of Lady Romanoff and Sir Barton, two noble warriors of SHIELD," Thor replied before I could explain anything.

The look on Jane's face was priceless. Mentally I yelled at Thor for giving away such information. But he didn't know that Jane was unaware of who my parents were. And Thor only just now seemed to realize the mistake he'd made.

"Why didn't I see it before?" Jane started pacing in the room, all the while Heimdall and Lady Sif were still watching the whole scene. Lady Sif looked rather amused with Jane's reaction, while it was difficult to see what Heimdall thought of it all.

"Look, Jane, I didn't choose for them to be my birth parents," I explained. I think I've gotten tired of explaining this to everyone.

"But you work for SHIELD," she said in an accusing tone. "Darcy told me about the badge you had, and I thought she was crazy!" She started pacing again. The others were oddly silent throughout the conversation. And for once I almost wished that someone would step in and shut her up.

"I am sorry, I did not know you were keeping this a secret." Thor looked more confused than ever when Jane glared at him.

"Can we all just drop the subject for the moment?" Luckily Jane had stopped her pacing, though she still looked pissed off. "Jane, right now I'm off duty. No, I'm not keeping in touch with SHIELD at the moment, just my overprotective father, and no, I haven't told him about this, and I probably won't."

And of course I'll be grounded for life once this was over. Knowing Clint he might already have booked a trip to London to find out what I was up to. I really didn't want to have to explain to him that I took an unexpected trip to Asgard.

Thankfully Jane did not question me any further, though I'm sure once we figured out what was going on with her she would start asking them. More or less I wanted to keep my distance. Thor seemed genuinely concerned that he had caused a rift in our friendship. But at this point there was nothing he could do to fix it.

Right now we had bigger things to worry about. According to Thor his 'beloved' Jane had something inside her that had needed to be looked at by the Asgardian doctors. I wasn't too sure about the detail, but apparently a blast of energy had sent a few police officers flying and knocked her out in the process.

The palace itself was incredible. It looked like the buildings were carved out of gold. The people walking outside gave both me and Jane wary looks, but bowed to Thor as he road by on a horse. Lady Sif had picked out a ride for herself with me tagging behind her. I've never ridden a horse before, but now I almost wished I could. This was kind of fun.

Once we got inside the people I guessed were doctors started working with Thor to find out what was wrong with Jane. The room was bright and welcoming on the inside. A few of the women inside were giving me strange looks as I leaned against a wall nearby and observed them.

One of the doctors pulled out a holographic image of what was going on inside Jane's body. Part of me was fascinated with the way they worked. It was similar to that of an identity disk, pulling out what appeared to be a line of codes that they could pick apart.

"This is not of Earth... what is it?" Thor asked as he eyed the images.

"I do not know," the doctor, Eir, replied. Her voice was soft, yet it had a firmness to it that reminded me of Bruce in a way when he was trying to reassure me. "But she will not survive the amount of energy she has within her."

Well that wasn't good to hear. It made me wonder why the Tesseract didn't react the same way. Both substances from what I gathered were made out of pure energy.

It made me thankful they hadn't decided to check to see if anything was happening to me. I could imagine the doctors would be surprised and angry that I had Tesseract energy coursing through my blood. Than again they might know how to get rid of it.

Thor smiled as Jane asked Eir questions about the technology they were using. I wonder what Jane would say if she ever saw the Grid. She would either be shell shocked or impressed beyond imagination. Either way it was probably better not to tell her.

"My words are mere noises that you would ignore completely?" Their happy moment was cut short by the arrival of someone new.

And by someone new I meant someone who reminded me of the one-eyed troll known as Director Fury. This stranger had a sense of power to him, and I made a failed attempt at blending in with the others.

Eir and the other doctors immediately bowed to him. I assumed that this was Odin, otherwise known as the AllFather. From the mythology books I've read in the library their pictures seemed to match. So I had even more reason to hide myself now. I doubted Odin would appreciate having two trespassers in his palace.

"She is ill," Thor explained.

"She is mortal. They have their own doctors to take care of their problems," came the response of the century.

I just glared at Odin as he disregarded Jane as if she was nothing. Yep, I already didn't like this guy. I couldn't see why Thor spoke so highly of his father. It seemed to me that Odin could care less about those around him.

"I brought her here because we can help her." It seemed Thor's explanations were left unheard.

"She does not belong here on Asgard anymore than a goat at a banquet table."

"Did he just..." Jane was clearly furious with what Odin had said.

"You did not just compare her to a goat." I chose now of all times to say something. Odin's eye widened when he finally took notice of me.

"You have brought not one but two mortals with you?" It looked like Odin was struggling not to raise his voice.

"We 'mortals' do have names you know," I muttered, annoyed that he kept putting us down.

See, this is why I like believing in one God. At least He was always forgiving. This God just seemed like an angry old man waiting for us to make the wrong move.

"Yeah." For once Jane agreed with me. "Who do you think you are?"

"I am Odin. King of Asgard, protector of the Nine Realms."

All bravery Jane had seemed drained from her face when she realized who she was speaking to. It took her a few minutes to think of what to say next without getting thrown into the dungeon. Knowing this Odin character that was very possible. Though I doubted Thor would ever let him go so far. "Well, I'm..." She cut herself off as Odin waved a hand dismissively.

"I know very well who you are, Jane Foster," he told her. Than he turned to me, eye narrowed thoughtfully. "But I do not know you, mortal."

It was my turn to have a staring contest. Odin was intimidating in person. But so was Director Fury, and even Tron could be intimidating if he allowed it. I've grown up facing bigger threats than the AllFather himself. Odin's gaze was unnerving to say the least. It felt as though he was looking right through me, trying to piece together a story I'd rather keep hidden.

I've pretty much gotten over that part of my life. When Rinzler held me captive and used me for the games I thought that was the worse part of my life. But than other things happened... things I'd rather not think about. And I sure as heck wasn't about to share those stories with Jane around.

Finally Odin looked away and demanded to know what was going on here. Again Thor repeated himself. I wondered why Odin was asking the same question - possibly he was testing Thor, making sure that his son was not lying to him.

Even after explaining himself for a second time Odin did not look satisfied. In fact he looked like he was ready to explode with anger. Literally. I've seen an angry Tron and Director Fury. I knew what it was like to be around angry men.

"Her world has it's healers. They are called doctors. Guards, take them back to Midgard," he ordered.

Really? That was all you had to say you big jerk? And here I thought you were supposed to be a wise ruler who cared for all.

"I would not-" Thor was cut off as one of the guards grabbed Jane by the arm. At once a blast of energy sent them flying. Since I was standing closer to her the blast should have knocked me out as well. But for some reason I was left unaffected. "...Do that. Jane, are you alright?"

I glanced over at Odin and noticed that his expression was that of shock. That was definitely not good. Odin carefully raised a hand and brushed it across, not exactly touching her arm but close enough to make some kind of contact.

"That's impossible," he muttered after noticing the red energy coursing through her veins.

"It's protecting her?" I suggested as I eyed the red energy warily.

"No, it's defending itself."

Odin finally rose to his knees after leaning down to inspect the damage caused by this energy. With that said and done he wasted no time in telling us to follow him.

. . .

"_The Realms will be aligned soon. You'll be the last of the Kursed."_

_"Let my life be sacrificed. The same has done for our people."_

_"You will become darkness, doomed to this existence until it consumes you. And then no power of our enemies will stop."_

_"I'll destroy their defenses and resurrect the universe._"

. . .

_"Odin continues to bring me new friends. How thoughtful."_

_"The books I sent, do they not interest you?"_

_"Is that how I'm to wile away all eternity, reading?"_

_"I've done everything in my power to make you more comfortable, Loki."_

_"Have you? Does Odin share your concern? Does Thor? It must be so inconvenient having them ask for me day and night."_

_"You know full well it was your actions that brought you here."_

_"My actions... I was merely giving truth to a lie that I've been fed my entire life, that I was born to be a king."_

_"A king? A true king admits his faults. What of the lives you took on Earth?"_

_"Your father..."_

_"He is not my father!"_

_"Then am I not your mother?"_

_"...No, you're not."_

_"Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself._"

. . .

I've seen a lot of interesting things in my life. Ten years ago I saw the Grid for the first time. I was terrified and of course I ran the moment I could. A few years later and Beck and I returned to the User world in the hopes to close the Portals opening up on the Grid. It was times like these I wished I was still on the Grid.

Odin led us to what I guessed was the library. Ancient looking books and scrolls were scattered throughout in cases. Columns with beautiful artwork stretched out to the ceiling. I was trying to take in everything at once while Odin took out a book.

Even the book itself was beautifully crafted. The edge of the pages were golden, and the pictures seemed to move as Odin turned the pages.

"There are relics that predate the universe itself. What lies within her appears to be one of them. The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn as they will have a dusk." The words were impossible for me to make out. Almost made me wish I knew Asgardian, or other languages for that matter. "But before that dawn the dark forces, the Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged."

Dark Elves... why do I get the feeling this is something I'd rather not hear about? Thor leaned forward to look at the book, eying it curiously.

"'Born of eternal night, the Dark Elves comes to steal away your light.' They were these stories mother told us as children."

"Their leader, Malekith made a weapon out of that darkness, it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appeared as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever changing. It changes matter into dark matter and seeks out to host bodies, drawing strength from their life force. Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness. But after eternities of blood shed, my father Bor, finally triumphed, ushering in the peace that lasted thousands of years," Odin concluded the tale, sounding more serious than ever.

"What happened to them?" I asked warily. This sounded more like a nightmarish story than a tale told to children.

"He killed them all," Odin replied.

I wish I could share that confidence. Something told me that this war was far from over. If what Odin said was true than Malekith or anyone related to him would seek out revenge.

"Are you certain? The Aether was said to have been destroyed with them and yet here it is," Thor said in an accusing tone.

"The Dark Elves are dead." Your words are so reassuring.

"Does your book happen to mention how to get it out of me?" Jane asked. I was wondering that too. I imagine she wasn't feeling very comfortable being used as a host for some energy substance. Than again the Tesseract was kind of similar to the Aether.

I don't even know if it was slowly killing me from the inside out. Bruce had said that it was harmless at the moment. In fact, it seemed to act like some kind of shield against certain weapons.

"No, it does not."

With that said and done, Odin slammed the book and walked out of the room, leaving us behind. Well that was rude. I suppose being king gave him that kind of right. But still, he could at least act like he cared.

So as he left us I decided to do some exploring, now that I knew where I was. I was in no hurry to spend some alone time with Jane and Thor. After her recent discovery I'm sure she would never trust me again.

The halls of Asgard were just as beautiful as the library. I really felt under dressed the further I walked on. What I had on would be appropriate for Earth, I guess. I was wearing a sweater, pants and a pair of fingerless gloves to keep my hands covered.

I didn't stop walking until I reached an area that reminded me a bit of an arena. A few Asgardian warriors were sparring, using swords or other various weapons they found useful. I watched with awe as the warriors moved with agility that matched even the most skilled program.

"Does the library not interest you?" I was more than surprised to see Lady Sif standing beside me, chatting as if we were old friends. "This is the training grounds for Asgard," she explained after I shook my head. "Here we train to become the best of the best, chosen by the AllFather himself to be his soldiers."

"We had something similar to this where I grew up," I murmured, thinking of the Grid. It was similar to this, only the coliseums were much more dangerous on the Grid. And the winner of a disk battle would become Clu's next brainwashed soldier.

"I have been to Midgard before," Lady Sif said, eyes darkening with confusion. "I saw no such thing upon my visit."

I didn't bother explaining what I meant by that. Things were probably already confusing enough for her at the moment. Besides, there was no reason to tell the AllFather Odin about the Grid and how dangerous it really was.

Suddenly Lady Sif walked into the center of one of the arenas. I raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a sword.

"This is my sword," she said proudly. Upon twisting it around it became a double-bladed sword. I really was impressed with that. Taking out my light sword baton I wondered if there was any way I could modify it into such a weapon. "Is that your weapon of use? Thor did tell me that you are a brave warrior," she added.

Now it was my turn to look confused. Thor said that? I barely met the guy and he already thought that of me? Maybe it was partly due to that fact that Natasha and Clint were my parents. Either way I decided not to dwell on that.

"Yeah," I replied.

"On Asgard it is a tradition to spar with a new friend," she told me.

I just eyed her warily before nodding in agreement. It's been way too long since I've done something like this. And the fact that Lady Sif considered me a friend was all the more surprising. Turning the baton into a light sword, I readied myself for the first attack.

Sif charged at me with her sword aimed. I moved to the side, narrowly avoiding a blow that would have likely killed me. She whirled around just in time to block an attack as I threw down my light sword. This time though I swung my leg over, knocking her off her feet.

She was fast, I'd give her that much. It took me a while to figure out where she would strike next, each blow getting closer and deadlier. She was on the defensive. What she did next took me by surprise. She suddenly leaped forward and dropped her sword to the ground, than spun in the air so that she was facing me the next time she landed.

Once or twice she had me pinned to the ground, but I managed to take her by surprise as well. And by the time we were finished I had might light sword against her waste, ready to knock her out just in case.

"Thor was right, you are a skilled warrior," she laughed as I let her up.

"Thank you, for that," I said while catching my breath. "It's been too long since I had a sparring partner."

Lady Sif just grinned as she bowed, and I bowed in return. This was one place I could get used to. I liked their costumes, even if they did seem strange at first. Maybe getting stuck here wasn't such a bad thing after all.

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**AN: And here's an update :) Thanks Panda Bear Lover 317 and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D Erm... I don't really have much to say XD**


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

I was wandering again for what felt like the hundredth time. After that sparring session with Lady Sif I was feeling more than ready to face just about anything. She was a fierce warrior, and I could see why she was Thor's friend.

Most of the guards seemed oblivious to the fact that I was left to do whatever I felt like. I'm not sure if I should feel offended by that or impressed. Thor must have convinced his father that I wasn't a threat. Or perhaps they didn't see me as a threat.

"My son was right when he said you like to wander." I whipped around to see a beautiful looking woman standing in the hallway that looked out onto the city. She had long curly light brown hair, a face that looked like she belonged to a Victoria Secret's model, and a dress that made me look like a washed up slum. "I am Frigga, queen of Asgard," she explained after noticing my confusion.

Ah, that would explain the fancy clothes. She really did look like a queen now that I thought about it. Than again I've never met anyone of royal blood other than Thor.

"In the presence of the queen you are to bow." One of the guards did so as he spoke, and I suddenly felt heat rising to my cheeks. It didn't take me long to do the same - there was no way I was getting thrown in the dungeon just for not listening.

"On your way than," Frigga said with a wave of her hand. The guard shot me a wary look before running off to whatever he had been doing. "You do not have to act so formally around me," she told me with a smile. "Any friend of Thor is a friend of Asgard."

"Thank you," I sighed.

"I was just on my way to greet Thor and Lady Jane Foster, would you like to accompany me?" I thought that over, realizing that this might not be the best time to intervene.

"Actually I was wondering if you had clothing that was more... appropriate for Asgard," I admitted while looking down at my gray sweater.

Frigga just laughed, and I wondered why what I said was so funny.

"Come with me to my chamber, the maids will give you new attire," she replied.

I eyed her warily before following her. If anyone would know where to get the best clothing, it was the All-Mother. While I wasn't into fashion and all of that, I was more than ready to have a change of clothes. The outfit I was in probably looked old and ratty to these people.

People were giving me odd looks while bowing to Frigga as we walked past them. I'm sure they weren't used to seeing a mortal with their beloved queen. Nonetheless someone who looked like me. But they didn't dare question Frigga in who she chose to speak with.

Luckily it didn't take us long to reach her chambers. And as we did I noticed that the maids themselves were almost as beautiful as Frigga. Now I really did feel out of place as they looked at me in surprise before bowing to the queen.

"My Lady, what may we do for you?" one of the maids asked while folding sheets. Another was cleaning the room, while the third seemed too busy to speak.

"This is Lady Mira, of Midgard. She is in need of new attire," Frigga explained.

I tried not to flinch as one of the maids started taking measurements. Another asked for me to stand up straight so they could get to work. I threw off my sweater and avoided their startled looks when they noticed the scars for the first time.

This was one of those many times I hated being the center of attention. I was thankful that they didn't say a word. But the looks in their eyes told me they had hundreds of questions.

"Tell her to meet me at the balcony when you are finished," Frigga ordered.

. . .

The maids worked quickly, asking questions like what my favorite colors were and how the new attire should look. They seemed to enjoy this part of their job the most. I could see why - if one was into creating new fashion than this would be the perfect job for them. All I had to do was tell them what I liked and what I didn't like. Orange and red were my least favorite colors. None of them questioned why, but I did see curiosity in their gazes.

Once they were finished questioning they started working together at weaving the threads. I was amazed at how quickly they created the first part of the outfit. All the while I wondered what Thor and Jane were up to. It was likely that Frigga had already met up with them. And I wondered how Jane felt about meeting her future mother in law. I bet that was exciting.

Well, at least the worst of it was over. The maids were finished in a matter of what felt like minutes. I still didn't know how time worked here. Whether or not it worked like time on Earth was beyond me. And I probably wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out.

Looking at my reflection, I couldn't help but marvel at the colors the maids had chosen. Pale blue and purple blended in together. A strip along the side was a darker shade of blue. The first thought that came to mind was that I looked like a peacock. But than again I did like these colors together.

For the first time upon looking at my reflection, I noticed how red my hair had gotten over the past few months. It seemed like the coloring I did to my hair when I was on the Grid started to fade. Hazel eyes stared back at me, reminding me all too much of my mother. I wondered what they were up to at the moment. Or if they even knew that I was here.

More often than I should think about it, I thought of the people who adopted me. Before we were found by SHIELD, I never knew I was adopted. My adoptive parents never came back asking for me. And maybe knowing who my birth parents were made them nervous. I never asked for them to be master assassins. But they were, and it was something I had to live with.

I took a deep breath before leaving the room. The sleeve was halfway cut, revealing my arm that was covered in scars. Normally I couldn't stand thinking about them. When I was on the Grid no one pitied me. Now everything seemed to be in reverse. And I got tired of the shocked looks everyone gave me when they noticed the scars for the first time.

Sure enough Frigga was waiting outside on a balcony. In the sunlight it looked golden, and I was taken back with awe at the sight. It overlooked the city. Buildings were bathed in orange sunlight as it began to set.

"Those are truly beautiful colors, and the dress suits you well," Frigga said after giving the dress a careful look.

I tried not to blush as she led me to the Gathering Hall. It was big enough to seat hundreds of guests. Asgard was big on parties, from what I've been told. Right now the room was empty, aside from a few passing guards and maids. Grabbing a chair to sit on I noticed that food was placed on the table.

While I wasn't against eating buffet styles I only grabbed a small portion of food. It was like normal food on Earth, only packed with energy like the drinks served on the Grid. I hated to admit it, but their food was good.

It was actually kind of nice to sit and chat for a while. Frigga seemed like a really down-to-Earth person for someone who was queen. I was surprised she hadn't gone off to see Thor and Jane yet. And I was even more surprised that she found interest in what I had to say.

As we walked after eating I told her about my life. She was interested in the Avengers and how I came to know them like family. And it took me a while to explain that two Avengers were literally family to me. I than told her about what my life was like before I met them.

Should I trust her when I told her about the Grid? Aside from the Avengers and Director Fury, she was the only person I ever told about the Grid. For some reason I felt like I could trust her. She wasn't anything like Odin. To me she was more like... a caring mother who looked after everyone she could.

"It seems as though you had a grand adventure," she remarked as we reached another hallway. "The Grid sounds like a fascinating land."

"It is..." I paused and rubbed my arms, remembering the last visit was not so pleasant.

When I told her about my life she told me about hers, explaining what it was like to be a queen and have a 'stubborn old man' as her husband. I couldn't help but watch her with wonder. Frigga really was an interesting woman. I could listen to her stories for hours.

"Forgive me for, but I believe it is time to meet Jane Foster," she said after we stopped by another balcony. Just how many balconies did one castle need? "Do you wish to join me?"

"I think I'm going to do some more exploring," I replied after giving it some thought.

Once she was gone I took the opportunity to explore the lower part of the castle. I'm sure there were secret passages that needed to be explored. With everything going on I couldn't help but enjoy my time alone for a while.

This castle was huge. The hallways were never ending as far as I could tell. I wondered where they led. Curiosity was getting the better of me as I went further on. Guards were still posted in several areas, more specifically where the hallways broke off into rooms or more hallways.

I was surprised none of them stopped me, again. It was like they didn't even know I was there. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if that was the case. Sometimes it was just nice to be ignored every now and than.

Than again, I couldn't help but stop at the end of the hallway. My eyes widened when I noticed the hallway led to what looked like a chamber. This one was very different from Frigga's room. There were no maids here. Only guards that seemed more oblivious to my presence than ever.

Maybe I should turn back. A woman in a jade green dress was walking down the hall, a group of men following her like lovesick puppies. I froze when she looked over her shoulder in my direction. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits before she disappeared, along with the men. Already I could feel the scars along my arms and legs burning, and I held back a yelp of surprise at the sudden pain.

Okay, what the heck was that about? The woman gives me an odd look and all of a sudden my scars flare up? That's never happened before. And I never want it to happen again. I tried pushing back the fear that was beginning to overwhelm me.

I shouldn't be here. But something kept me going forward. My feet seemed to have a mind of their own.

Something told me those guards should not have been following that woman. It made me wonder if she was part of a prison break. And if that was the case, than why weren't there more guards posted down here? If this place was a prison than there should be more soldiers and guards.

That was when I stopped dead in my tracks. The prison cells here were protected by some kind of magical barrier. They were nothing like the cells I've seen used by SHIELD. I wondered if these prisons would keep someone like Cyrus locked up.

But that wasn't what caught my attention. The first cell I reached looked luxurious. Well, as luxurious as prison cells would get. Sitting in the cell was a man I've only seen pictures of. And at first he was just as surprised to see me when he finally took notice of me.

Than that look of surprise turned to a devilish smirk. "Are you lost?"

I didn't know what to say. My mouth dropped open, but no words came out. And I never had the chance to respond as the ground began to tremble. Loki just sat back and watched as the chaos unfolded.

Prisoners escaped from their cells and made a break for it, only to find themselves stopped by the guards that heard the alarm that followed. I simply moved to the side as more guards charged down to keep the enemies at bay.

Why was I still here? I should have left by now given the scene that unfolded before me.

"Lady Mira!" I was startled from my frozen posture as someone called my name.

It was at that point I realized someone was charging after me. Good thing Volstagg called me out my trance. I took a flip back to avoid the prisoner's weapon, than threw my light sword into their thigh. The prisoner let out a cry of pain as they stumbled back, clutching their leg.

I couldn't have hit them that hard, could I? I wasn't given the chance to think it over. The prisoner recovered and threw a fist. I blocked the attack just as Fandral threw a sword into the enemies chest, not wasting any time in giving them a chance to attack again.

"You should not be here," Fandral stated as he fought off another prisoner. I rolled to the side to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"I can take care of myself," I grumbled under my breath. Looking over my shoulder I noticed that Loki was watching us with keen interest.

Clint was right about one thing: This guy was creepy as heck.

"It's as if these creatures resent being imprisoned!" Fandral shouted to Volstagg.

"There's no pleasing some creatures!" I couldn't help but laugh at Volstagg's response. Thor arrived shortly after and knocked out two enemies with one swing of his hammer.

The chaos that followed made me almost wish I had never left Frigga's side. She would know where to go during situations like this. All I could do was fight back and keep the prisoners from escaping.

One of the prisoners suddenly charged after me, fists raised and ready for battle. All I could do was brace myself as he rammed into me, tossing me to the side like I was a paper doll. Volstagg took charge of him and knocked him out shortly after.

Glancing up, I felt a shiver run down my neck when I noticed that Loki was looking down at me again, that smirk still there. He almost looked bored.

"I wouldn't stand there if I were you," he suddenly whispered.

Just in time I ducked as a prisoner was thrown into the cell wall. Fandral suddenly grabbed me by the waste as Thor ordered him to take me to safety. It took everything I had not to struggle against Fandral's firm grip.

"I can take care of myself!" I repeated as he headed for the stairs.

"We have seen what you are capable of, but Thor does not want your life in danger," Fandral explained.

Gee, I wonder why? I could already picture Clint using Thor for target practice for the next few weeks. If there's one thing I've learned it's not to piss off an archer with anger issues. Especially when that archer never misses.

I guess it was time to figure out exactly what was going on here.

. . .

"_The universe rotates on a five thousand year cycle, and once its cycled all the worlds align. Imagine...imagine that this is our world, and...and... Oh, thank you. And this is another world. Normally they're separate, but during the alignment everything is connected. All Nine Realms, all Nine Realms are passing through each other and gravity, light, and even matter, is crunching from one world to the other. But if this happens to us now, the result would be cataclysmic. My gravimetric spikes can stabilize the focal point of the Convergence. This time the alignment, and all the other worlds, would just pass up by. It's beautiful. It's simple. Any questions?"_

_"Yeah. Can I have my shoe back?_"

* * *

**AN: Thought I'd run an early update. Also the Amazing Spiderman 2 opened up last Friday in theaters. Did anyone else see it? I still have to ;) Thanks to 2theSky, Panda Bear Lover 317 and Sunofaia for reviewing!**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

"_I need your strength to reclaim the Aether. And when you wake up, you will kill them all._"

. . .

Everything was in chaos. The castle was in ruins. Ships that the enemy had used were crashed into parts of the building. People were panicking. The battle was over, but the war was far from finished. I could see that now as I saw how badly damaged everything and everyone was.

I felt a pang in my stomach as I watched the scene unfold before me. When the battle was over I heard the rumors spread. Alarm flared up within the gathered crowd as they heard the news. The moment I found out it felt like my heart nearly stopped.

Frigga, the Queen of Asgard and the All-Mother, was dead. Killed by a Dark Elf known as Malekith. The Dark Elves were supposed to be destroyed. Yet they had returned and laid waste to Asgard. Now those who weren't injured in the battle began questioning Odin's wisdom. If what they saw was true than surely he would have known that such an enemy was still around.

Jane was with Thor for most of the night. I stood by myself, unable to watch as a funeral was held for Frigga. Her body was placed on a casket, and archers stood on the many balconies as a crowd gathered to mourn her death. The sight was really breathtaking, and it made my fists clench as I thought of what Malekith had done.

He would pay for this, one way or another. I knew full well Thor wasn't going to let Malekith get away with this murder. The funeral was over in a matter of hours as Odin slammed down his staff, sending the casket Frigga was placed on across what looked like a river. I'm sure Jane would have a better explanation as to what was going on. But now wasn't the time to ask questions.

I've watched too many people die in my life. Too many good people were killed in cold blood. My throat tightened as I fought back the grief that threatened to overwhelm me. I barely knew her and she already felt more like a mother than anyone I'd ever met.

The chance I got I slipped away, unable to watch any longer. With the battle behind me all I could think about was the overwhelming grief and anger that followed.

I found myself sitting in a pub full of people sharing stories of their encounter with the Dark Elves. Not for the first time I was grateful I had taken my iPhone with me. Even if I couldn't reach anyone at least I could listen to some music.

"**What do you think about when you look at me, I know were not the fairytale you dreamed wed be, You wore the veil, you walked the aisle, you took my hand, And we dove into a mystery, How I wish we could go back to simpler times, Before all our scars and all our secrets were in the light, Now on this hallowed ground, we've drawn the battle lines, Will we make it through the night...**"

Man, Casting Crowns always seemed to have music for the right moments. The more I thought about it the more I wondered where I got that influence from. Maybe it was because my adoptive parents were so strict about going to church every Sunday.

I can remember always fighting with them about going. Now I could see why they were so determined to take me.

"You have a strange choice in music, young one." I nearly dropped my phone when someone sat beside me. It took me a few seconds to recognize the stranger as Heimdall. He really did make me feel tiny, but than again compared to everyone else here I probably was. "Forgive me, all of the other seats were taken," he added when he noticed my surprise.

"No, it's fine," I replied with the faintest of smiles. Turning down the music I realized that this may be my only chance to find out where my adoptive parents were. I mean, Heimdall was all seeing from what I've gathered. It felt selfish asking him such questions now that I thought about it. After everything that happened I couldn't blame him for looking so defeated.

"Your curiosity is understandable," Heimdall suddenly spoke up, breaking the awkward silence between us after ordering a drink. I couldn't help but bite the bottom of my lip nervously. "I cannot keep watch over every mortal, but I have been watching those close to Prince Thor. He wishes to keep them safe while he is not available."

That made sense. As much as I hated admitting it the world could use some of Thor's powers to keep it safe. More often than not war was never the answer. Fights would break out every now and than, but the police force could usually break them up. It wasn't until the Chitauri invaded that Thor was needed.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about my adopted parents, would you?" I looked down at the wooden table, trying to figure out the best way to ask that question.

It was a nagging itch at the back of my mind that refused to go away. I often thought of what they knew about me and whether or not they were even still looking for me. By now with the news leak on my birth parents they might have given up.

"I am afraid I do not," he replied. "But I have watched Lady Romanoff and Sir Barton for some time, before even the Prince met them."

I grimaced at the thought of their pasts. When we first met an infection had spread throughout my system. And after Beck managed to hack in SHIELD's database I started seeing images of their pasts. They were brief, violent images that I'd rather forget.

Though truth be told I really didn't know much about their pasts. I never bothered asking much about it, and their pasts were in the past. Some things were better off left unsaid.

"What exactly do you know about them?" Curiosity got the better of me. It's not like we'd be leaving in a hurry. I'm not even sure where Thor and Jane were at the moment. I was surprised that Odin's guards hadn't been sent to keep me under lock and key after everything that happened.

Heimdall's smirk told me that it wasn't a pretty story. "I only have time to share one tale with you, the other you must find out for yourself," he replied after taking a sip of his drink. "Now, before I begin you must understand that these pasts do not define who they are." I just nodded in response. I knew full well that was true - it was what they were doing now that counted. I think.

"Your father and his brother were orphaned at a young age. When they escaped they joined the circus in the hopes of having a proper future. They took well to that life. But soon your father discovered that his mentor, The Swordsman, was stealing money from the circus. His mentor offered him in on the job, but he turned down the offer. His brother, Barney, was furious that he turned down the offer. Barney saw it as an opportunity to earn more money. The Swordsman struck Clint down after he threatened to report him for his crimes, and Barney abandoned him when he needed his brother the most."

Why did that sound familiar? My eyes darkened as I found out more and more about Clint's past. Like Heimdall had warned me, it was not a pleasant story. Now I could see why he was so protective.

"Soon after that he was trained by The Amazing Trickshot in archery. He excelled in those lessons, and eventually Trickshot convinced him into a life of crime. It was during his first mission that Clint shot down a guard, not realizing that it was his brother, Barney. The two continued growing distant, until one day Barney disappeared off what you mortals call the grid. After that Clint was approached by the mortal known as agent Coulson. He was asked to join SHIELD in the hopes of living a better life."

. . .

"_Jane isn't calling me back. Erik isn't calling me back. Stupid SHIELD isn't calling me back!"_

_"What's SHIELD?"_

_"Uh...hey, Erik. It's Darcy again. Uh...Thor came back, he took Jane to Asgard and um...I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."_

_"Something else went missing this week when Astrophysicist, Dr. Erik Selvig, notable for his involvement in the Alien invasion in New York streaked nude across Stonehenge."_

_"Darcy, you really need to look at this. Your friend Erik, what was his last name again?"_

_"...disrobed and began shouting at visitors at the historic site. He was later taken into police custody for psychiatric evaluation. The police are still refusing to confirm..._"

. . .

I leaned forward as I took everything in. Heimdall's wisdom made me thankful I had asked him. Clint had mentioned having a deep respect for Coulson. And now I understood why. Joining SHIELD was his way of redeeming himself for all the crimes he'd committed.

It was at that moment Thor made an entrance. Heimdall seemed more interested in them now as he walked over to our table.

"You're not in Odin's war council?" Thor asked warily.

"The Bifrost is closed by your father's orders. No one is to come or to go." Heimdall glanced over at me, as if waiting for me to say something. "We face an enemy that is invisible even to me. Of what use is a guardian such as that?" he added with a heavy sigh.

I was tempted to say something, but I knew better. It made me wonder if this was how Tron had felt when he couldn't find me during my days of hiding.

"Malekith will return, you know this. I'll need your help," Thor suddenly told him.

"I cannot overrule my King's wishes, not even for you," pointed out Heimdall.

"I'm not asking you to. The Realms need their All-Father strong and unchallenged, whether he is or not. But he is blinded, Heimdall, by hatred and by grief," replied Thor seconds later.

"As are we all."

"Well I see clearly enough." Thor sounded so sure of himself, just like Odin had hours ago. Actually, I wasn't even sure how much time had passed since I set foot on Asgard.

"The risks are too great," Heimdall warned him.

"Everything that we do from here on is a risk, there is no other way." Again Thor sounded so sure of himself. Every day of my life on the Grid had been a risk. I knew all too well what it was like taking the big jump forward.

"What do you require of me?" Heimdall asked.

"What I'm about to ask of you is treason of the highest order. Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean our death. Malekith knew the Aether was here, he can sense its power. If we do nothing he will come for it again, but this time lay waste to all of Asgard," Thor explained.

For once I had to agree with Thor. If we didn't act first than Malekith would use this as an opportunity to attack. Asgard was vulnerable right now with it's defenses down. And with Odin blinded by grief and anger, he was in no shape to fight a war.

"What happened to Jane?" I asked when Thor was finished discussing his plan. Surely she would be with him right now.

"Odin has taken her as prisoner," he replied, face hardening with rage.

My eyes widened in disbelief. How could Odin be so foolish? Than again Heimdall did say that he was blinded at the moment. Odin might have locked her away because he blamed Jane for what had happened to Frigga.

"So when do we start?" Thor looked at me in surprise. There was no way I was going to sit here and do nothing. If anyone was going to help him it would be me.

"You should not take part in this war," he warned me. "Your father would have my head if he found out what has happened." Heimdall smirked at the comment, while I just shrugged in response.

"He doesn't have to know what happened. Besides, it sounds like you'll need all the help you can get," I pointed out.

Thor didn't argue after that. He knew that no matter what I would still follow him. His hammer wasn't going to scare me away that easily.

. . .

"We must move Jane off world," Thor explained as he gathered the Warriors Three and Lady Sif together.

"The Bifrost has been shut down and the Tesseract locked away in a vault," Lady Sif pointed out.

I looked away sheepishly, remembering not for the first time that it had somehow become one with me. With things the way they were, now probably was not a good time to tell them this. Even Thor did not know what had happened to me.

"There are other paths off Asgard, ways known only to a few," Heimdall corrected them.

"One, actually," Thor muttered. I didn't miss the wary looks they all exchanged.

Did I even want to know? Probably not.

"No." Volstagg stared at Thor in disbelief as he nodded in agreement.

"Loki is the only one who knows of these portals," he explained. "While I will not trust him, he may offer his assistance when he finds out what has happened to our mother."

From what I understood Loki had always been close to Frigga. She had told me that it was she who taught him everything he knew in the arts of magic. Despite everything he had done she had still cared for him.

"Well, what then? Your lovely mortal is being guarded by a legion of our Einherjar who will see you coming from miles away."

"I won't be the one who comes for her." Thor looked over at Sif, whose eyes rolled in annoyance.

Oh this was going to be fun. Not only did they need to get past the guards Odin had posted around Jane's room, but they would also need to break out Loki from his prison. I felt goosebumps along my arms at the thought.

"And what of the All-Father?" Sif asked.

"It is my sworn duty to notify him of crimes against the throne," Heimdall replied.

"Assuming you can get Loki's help, and you can free this mortal, what good would it do? We'd all be dead the minute we step one foot outside the palace," Volstagg pointed out.

"That, my friend, is where we won't be leaving by foot." Why did I get the feeling that no good would come out of this?

I don't remember seeing what type of transportation Asgardians used other than horseback. Glancing down at the two batons Tony had given me, I could turn one into a light jet. It was similar to the ones from the Grid, and it didn't need to be powered by gasoline.

"We should go now, you must go with me," Thor said to me. Oh joy. I get to see Loki again.

* * *

**AN: So, I just got some exciting news. New Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire remakes are coming out this November. You wouldn't believe how happy this news made me :D It seriously made my day! Now I have to wait until November to go down nostalgia road again ^^ So thanks to 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing!**

**Lyrics come from the song Broken Together by Casting Crowns.**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

"This is a really bad idea."

"It is the only choice we have, unless you can somehow find these portals."

I didn't bother arguing with Thor on that one. With the Tesseract coursing through my blood, there was no telling what I was capable of. Maybe it could detect portals like Loki's magic. Or it could backfire and get us both killed or thrown into prison for the rest of our lives.

We were on our way to the dungeon where the prisons were located. Damages from the battle could be seen. Almost all of the prisoners that had escaped were still on the loose. To top things off Loki had been left in his cell. It wasn't clear why he was left behind while everyone else escaped, but I had a feeling there was a good reason behind it.

Thor leaned forward as the guards stood watch. I was keeping an eye out for anyone who might take their place. The last thing we needed was an explanation as to why we were here. Suddenly Thor stumbled towards the entrance, and I grabbed him by the cape to keep him from giving us away.

"Quiet, or they'll see us," I muttered under my breath.

"My apologies." Thor looked confused by my serious expression, and I only rolled my eyes in response.

He may be one of Asgard's finest warriors, but he was no super spy. It was times like these I almost wished Natasha was with me. She would know what to do next. But Thor and I were on our own, and we needed to act quickly.

"Loki and I used to do this all the time during Odin's war council meetings," Thor whispered. I looked at him in surprise. Thor and Loki had grown up together. I almost forgot that they were once very close, up to the point that Thor was willing to forgive his brother before the Chitauri attacked Earth.

"I bet Loki was the one who knew how to get around the guards," I murmured.

I thought of what it would be like having a sibling. Even my adopted parents had never had any other kids. So I never knew what it was like to have a sibling. It must be nice to have someone who was always close to you, at least someone who wasn't your parents.

"Odin and Frigga raised him even though he was adopted," Thor explained.

"I'm guessing Frigga was more of a mother than Odin was a father." I looked at one of the guards as they shifted in their positions.

Frigga was unlike any other mother I'd ever met. She had given her life for someone she barely knew. And I had no doubt that she was the one who cared for Loki, considering how little Odin spoke of him. She had told me a bit about Loki and his odd behavior before he was sentenced to prison for life.

She taught Loki everything he knew. From what she told me it was something Loki had enjoyed learning. He took the teaching with great stride and had become known as the Trickster. Unfortunately that reputation didn't do him any justice.

Her death must have taken it's toll on Loki.

I had a feeling that he wasn't taking the news well if they had the decency to tell him. Being locked away in prison for the rest of your life couldn't be easy.

And all of a sudden I thought of Cyrus. He was locked away in compressed space for cycles on end. I had learned that even before his imprisonment he started going crazy. Apparently a mission had gone drastically wrong. Cyrus started believing that the only way to cleanse the Grid was to destroy it, along with everyone on it.

I shook my head at the thought. The past was in the past.

Right now we needed to focus on what lay ahead. Free Loki and get off of Asgard. Sounded easy enough, right?

"Okay, so here's the plan: I get the guard's attention and you knock them out, the dungeon itself won't be guarded." At least I hoped that was the case.

"It sounds like a good plan," Thor replied while gripping Mjölnir.

Time to see if the plan would work. With a sigh I stepped out of our hiding place, making it obvious that I was there. The guards raised their spears when they realized an intruder was among them. Trying not to grin I ran towards the pillar Thor was hiding behind, giving him a thumbs up.

Thor raised Mjölnir and suddenly whacked the guards in the back of the head as they advanced on me. The guards were knocked down in an instant. Times like these reminded me of how often Beck and I would have to distract the soldiers on the Grid.

"Well than, shall we?" he asked with a grin.

We headed down the stairs, and unease began to crawl down my arms.

This felt wrong. I wasn't looking forward to facing Odin's wrath when he found out about this. And I definitely wasn't ready to face Loki again. That battle in the prison had left me feeling unnerved. The way he stared at me and acted just left me wondering how much he knew.

Getting the Aether out of Jane and destroying it before the Dark Elves found it was important. The only way we could do that was by freeing Loki. Odin had already ordered to keep Jane under lock down until the matter of the Dark Elves was resolved.

I didn't want to think of how I would explain this little adventure to Clint and Natasha. If they hadn't found out already where I was than they would soon enough. And I'd likely be grounded for life.

"Thor, after all this time now you come to visit me. Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock?" Loki stood up, eying us with malice when we reached his cell.

"Loki, enough. No more illusions," Thor snapped.

All of a sudden Loki's cell looked more like a prison cell than a hotel room. My eyes narrowed when I noticed how long his hair had gotten. He was sitting at the corner of the cell, looking like he had not showered in weeks. It was possible he hadn't.

I was suddenly reminded of how dangerous Loki was. He had killed several people. And had controlled others, Clint among them. And he was the reason Coulson had died, but what somehow still alive (that in itself was a whole other story).

"Now you see me, brother." Thor walked closer to the cell. "Did she suffer?"

"I do not come here to share in our grief. Instead I offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament," Thor explained.

"Go on." Now Loki looked more curious than angry.

"I know you seek vengeance as much as I do. You help me escape Asgard and I will grant it to you, vengeance. And afterwards, this cell." That must sound really tempting for the guy that was locked up for months on end.

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?" Loki did have a good point. I sure wouldn't trust him, not even if he was the last person on Earth.

"I don't. Mother did. You should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with the glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere. That hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray me and I will kill you."

Now that I could agree with.

"When do we start?" Loki leaned forward as Thor lifted Mjölnir.

The prison wall was shattered in a matter of seconds as Thor slammed Mjölnir against it. Loki wasted no time in getting out, changing into what looked like a green suit, golden helmet and green pants. This guy obviously liked the color green.

Loki didn't even have a chance to speak as I slapped him across the face.

"That's for what you did to my father!" Amusement and shock gleamed within his eyes when he stumbled back. I was surprised Thor didn't do anything. Instead he just kept his hand on Mjölnir, ready to knock Loki out in case he attacked.

"Your father?" Loki raised an eyebrow before Thor stopped him from saying anything else.

"We must leave," he pointed out.

Luckily we left it at that, though I knew this was far from over. I was going to give Loki one hell of a time once we got out of the palace.

. . .

"This is so unlike you, brother. So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?"

"If you keep speaking I just might."

I rolled my eyes as the two brothers starter bickering. They didn't even seem bothered by the fact that they could give us away. Actually I was surprised there were no guards down here. The rooms were strangely empty despite the threat of battle looming ahead.

You would think Odin would want these halls to be more heavily guarded. Than again with the recent battle maybe he had every guard at his war council.

Thor looked more annoyed than usual, so hopefully he could keep his temper in check. At least he didn't Hulk out like Bruce did when anger got the better of him. Meanwhile I was struggling not to punch Loki again for his behavior. Really, I think he was acting this way on purpose.

"Fine. As you wish. I'm not even here." And in an instant Loki's appearance changed to that of an Asgardian guard. I have to admit the disguise looked good. "Is this better?"

"It's better company at least," Thor replied.

"Still, we could be less conspicuous."

Before either of us knew what was happening, Loki turned back to himself. Thor was no longer Thor, at least physically. I tried not to laugh when it was Lady Sif walking between us, trying not to show how annoyed he-she was.

Loki looked more amused than ever as his brother rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Hm, brother. You look ravishing." Loki's grin only grew wider as Thor looked down at his appearance.

"It will hurt no less when I kill you in this form," Thor told him.

For the first time I noticed that this was just Loki's way of enjoying himself without hurting anyone. He was known as the Trickster for a reason. The more I thought about it the more I realized that this was his playful side. I wondered how often he had shown this side of himself to Thor or anyone else for that matter.

"Very well. Perhaps you prefer one of your new companions, given that you seem to like them so much."

By now I was smothering my laughter. Loki had turned himself into the spitting image of Captain America, AKA Steve Rogers. I really wish I had a camera. Steve's expression would be priceless.

"Oh, this is much better. Whoa. Costume's a bit much, it's so tight." To prove his point Loki tried stretching out his arms, showing off the suits' tightness. "The confidence, I can feel the righteousness surging. Hey, you wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honor, patriotism? God bless America..."

Suddenly Thor grabbed Loki by the wrist and threw him against a wall and placing a hand over his mouth. The impact made Loki's image change back to himself. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see guards passing by.

That was way too close for comfort.

"You can at least furnish me with a weapon. A dagger, something!"

Yeah, like that was going to happen. Although I had a feeling Loki would've attacked us already if he wanted to. He didn't need a weapon - he had his magic. Instead of replying Thor just placed handcuffs on Loki.

"At last, a little common sense." Thor just grinned as Loki sighed in relief. Loki's expression was priceless as he realized what just happened.

"I thought you liked tricks," he laughed while Loki just glared.

This time I couldn't hold back my laughter. I really wish I had a camera now.

Phase one of our plan was complete. Now it was time to get Jane and find a way out of Asgard, without getting caught by Odin or his guards.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was so much fun to write. Loki is one of my favorite villains, mostly because we really don't know what's going on in his head. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed: TheUprisingBegins6712, 2theSky, Panda Bear Lover 317 and QuilSniv for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D**


	10. Chapter Nine

**AN: Sorry for the long wait, hopefully this long chapter was worth it ;)**

**EDIT: For a moment there I thought the story was deleted. THANK GOD Fanfiction has a story recovery option. I really need to start saving these documents now D:**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Lady Sif was already waiting for us with Jane at her side when we reached the end of a hallway. Both looked very uncomfortable with the mission that lay ahead. Though I have to admit I wasn't surprised by their wariness. After all Loki could easily turn on everyone.

"You're..."

"You may have-" Loki was stopped short when Jane suddenly slapped him across the face.

Okay, I couldn't help but grin when Loki stared at her in surprise.

"That's for New York!" she told him. Loki just grinned at Thor in response.

"I like her."

"We should probably move," I pointed out as we heard the sounds of guards approaching.

Everything was going according to plan. If all worked out than we would be at the palace in a matter of seconds. I just hoped we got there in time. There were plenty of guards for Lady Sif to take on, and I had no doubt she could handle them all on her own.

"I'll hold them off. Take her," she said to Thor.

"Thank you," Thor replied before leading Jane away. As Loki was about to follow Lady Sif suddenly drew her sword and rested it under his throat. At that moment I wasn't sure if she was bluffing or if she was ready to kill him on the spot.

"Betray him and I'll kill you," she whispered.

"It's good to see you too Sif," Loki chuckled as he followed me.

It didn't take us long to reach the palace where Malekith's ship had crashed. The palace was still in ruins after the battle. It made me wonder how long it would take them to repair such damage. The throne where Odin normally sat was pretty much destroyed, along with a few pillars that had collapsed upon the ship's collision.

Volstagg was already waiting for us when we arrived, ready for the fight of his life. Jane just eyed him warily as she followed Thor to the ship.

"I will give you as much time as I can," Volstagg said while shaking forearms (I really have no idea how he did that) with Thor.

"Thank you, my friend," Thor replied with a nod. Again as I made my way past him Volstagg, like Lady Sif, stopped Loki halfway.

"If you even think about betraying him..." Loki raised an eyebrow as Volstagg began to warn him.

"You'll kill me? Evidently there will be a line," Loki finished with a smirk. Volstagg just grunted in response and let him past. With a sigh of annoyance I followed Thor and Jane onto the ship, still wary of how he would even fly this thing.

Thor glanced down at the control panels nervously. Even I had to admit that the panel looked more advanced than I'd give Malekith credit for. I've managed to learn how to fly a light jet on the Grid, but this was so different compared to them.

"I thought you said you knew how to fly this thing," Loki muttered as Thor began pressing random buttons.

Yeah, that was going to help. Hopefully there wasn't a self destruct button on the ship.

"I said how hard could it be," Thor replied while continuing with his hopeful tactics. Well this was getting us nowhere.

"They're on the ship!" Loki's frantic shouting was definitely not helping.

The two of them continued bickering. This was getting old, fast. At this rate we wouldn't get anywhere. And all the while Jane looked paler than ever. When I glanced over at her I noticed for the first time that she was wearing a different outfit.

Like me she was wearing a dress. Only hers looked slightly shorter, and the sleeves went halfway down her arms. I made a point to cover mine so she wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

Finally Thor managed to get the ship started as Volstagg held the guards off. The ship began rattling, and I was suddenly reminded of how dangerous this plan really was. At first when we talked about it I thought it was a good idea. But now that it was in action I was beginning to have second thoughts, holding on to the rail for dear life.

"I think you missed a column," I muttered when the ship crashed into something. Thor made such a wonderful pilot. Although I really shouldn't complain. When I first started flying I was terrible. I barely managed to stay off the ground when I was flying on the Grid.

Once the ship was in the air I held back a sigh of relief. It was times like these I wished that I did have a light ship in the User world. Light ships were like jets that were designed on the Grid, and only worked on the Grid. But Tony and Beck were building their own version of a light jet. Hopefully soon they would have one available.

And of course Loki was arguing with Thor once again. Did he ever shut up? I was about to say something when Jane suddenly fell on the floor. Working on sheer instinct I dropped down to make sure she was okay.

Hey, we may not agree with one another but I still had every right to worry about her. I was about to reach out for her when I felt a jolt of energy surge through my hand on contact.

Okay, that was new. Rubbing my hand, I realized that it may have something to due with the Tesseract residing in me. Maybe there was something about not having two such dangerous weapons so close together.

"Oh dear, is she dead?" Loki's question made me glare at him. For a moment I was about to make a retort when I thought better of it. Jane could stick up for herself if she wanted to.

"Jane," Thor said in a worried tone.

"I'm fine," Jane waved him off in a weak voice. She looked paler than ever, and I had a feeling that the Aether was taking it's toll on her.

For the first time I wondered why the Tesseract wasn't doing that to me. They were both substances of pure energy from what I had gathered. Bruce had told me that it wasn't effecting me in any way. But that didn't mean it wouldn't have some kind of reaction in the future.

"Well done, you just decapitated your grandfather," Loki sneered as Thor flew into yet another statue. "You know this is wonderful. This is a tremendous idea. Let's steal the biggest most obvious ship in the universe and escape, flying around the city, smashing into everything in sight so everyone can see us. It's brilliant, Thor! It's truly brilliant!"

Can someone please shut him up already? Suddenly Thor grabbed him by the throat and threw him out of the ship. Looks like someone was answering my prayers. Thor glanced at me, and he didn't need to tell me twice what would happen next.

"Do you trust me?" Thor's question took me by surprise, but I nodded as he prepared to throw me as well.

I didn't get a chance to say anything else. I forced back a yelp as I was thrown off the ship, wind rushing past me. For a moment I thought I'd actually keep falling. Than something, or someone, grabbed me by the arm and threw me back up.

It took me a few seconds to catch my bearings and recognize where I was, and who had caught me. Grudgingly I dusted off my dress and glared at Loki as he smirked at me.

"I do not appreciate being thrown out," Loki muttered.

"I see your time in the dungeons has made you no less graceful, Loki," Fandral commented with the slightest of grins. Luckily he was at least a good pilot. We'd both be in trouble if he missed us by inches, though I'm sure Loki could easily save himself.

It didn't take long for Thor to join us, with Jane in his arms. She still looked pale as ever, and I was beginning to worry that the Aether was already consuming her. True Odin said that it already was, but now it was worse than ever.

"You lied to me. I'm impressed." Getting a compliment out of Loki, I'm pretty sure that was rare.

"I'm glad you're pleased. Now, do as you promised. Take us to your secret pathway," Thor ordered. Loki's response was a smirk as he grabbed the control. Suddenly weapons were fired upon us, and I realized that Odin's army was closing in on us. "Fandral." Thor glanced over at Fandral, who simply bowed in response.

"Right." He took hold of a rope and swung onto the ship that was easily keeping up with us.

As he disappeared Loki aimed the ship towards what looked like a tiny opening. My eyes widened in dread when I realized what he was up to. If we crashed now there was no hope of escaping from Asgard. Plus there was the possibility we could die in that crash, which I'm sure Loki would be more than happy with.

"Loki!" I was surprised I could speak at all, given the situation we were in.

"If it were easy, everyone would do it," Loki replied.

"Are you mad?" Thor demanded.

"Possibly." I braced myself for the pain that would follow, closing my eyes just in case. "Ta-da!"

. . .

_"We must attack now."_

_"No. Asgard is not important anymore. The Aether has returned home."_

. . .

"What I could do with the power that flows through those veins."

"It would consume you."

We arrived at our destination safely. What destination that was I had no idea. This place reminded me a lot of the Outlands on the Grid. Only it was gloomier somehow. Like a wasteland had taken over and no signs of life aside from us could be seen for miles.

"Where exactly are we?" I asked as we landed.

"We are in Svartalfheim," Thor replied.

Right, that made sense. I knew little to nothing about Norse mythology, or the Nine Realms. Maybe it was time I started learning. It could be useful in future events like this. Although truth be told, I wasn't looking forward to another trip to Asgard.

Jane was resting on the ship. Thor was so caring to her, making sure that she was comfortable. At one point he had put a blanket on her to keep her warm, and now we had stopped to let her rest. Once she was fully rested we would need to move on.

Something told me that Malekith would know where the Aether was. If he managed to find it on Asgard than he could easily track us here. Until that happened I was more than happy to sit around and relax, or relax as best I could with Loki around.

"So, you're the daughter of Agent Barton and Romanoff." Loki's words made me wish I could smack him again. I didn't need to look and see that he had joined me "I was wondering when we would formally meet."

"It's not something I like to talk about," I muttered under my breath. "I didn't choose for them to be my birth parents." The words came out a little more bitter than I'd expected. Loki raised an eyebrow at my remark and smirked.

"Yet you seem determined to learn everything you can about their pasts," he pointed out. This time I flinched, realizing that he was right. I did want to know more about them. "You may not enjoy what you learn."

I already knew that. I've seen brief images of their past when Cyrus's disk infected me with that virus. But it was enough to make me realize that we really did have a lot in common. Maybe that was why everyone was always comparing me to them.

"You still have not told Thor about the Tesseract," Loki suddenly told me in a matter-of-fact tone.

This time it was my turn to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "How did you know about that?" I demanded, voice suddenly cold.

"I know more than you could ever imagine," he replied. "I know that you can control it, in a sense, or you try to. The Tesseract cannot be controlled by a mere mortal."

He was really making it difficult not to hate him. I understood that the Tesseract wasn't something I could control. But learning how to use it in a way that could help people would be more than just useful.

"And yet you wonder why nobody likes you," I whispered.

The glare Loki gave me was priceless. He suddenly grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. "I would watch your tongue, mortal!" he hissed.

"Or you'll do what, exactly?" It was a challenge he couldn't resist. Luckily Thor was too distracted with Jane to notice what I was up to. Despite all the anger he had shown earlier, Loki suddenly chuckled and dropped me.

"I see what you are doing, and it will not work," he snapped. "Not this time at least."

Did he seriously just say that? I just stared at him in disbelief as he joined Thor. The two of them started arguing again in seconds. I think that was Loki's favorite past time. Arguing with Thor, just to see how much he could piss off his brother. Though I will admit that I did just try provoking Loki into attacking me. It was a stupid move, and one that could have easily gotten me killed. Yet Loki did hold back.

"Satisfaction is not in my nature."

Of course not Loki.

"Surrender not in mine."

Thor would say something like that.

"The son of Odin."

"No, not just of Odin! You think you alone who loved mother? You had her tricks, but I had her trust!"

Now it was time to interfere. Bringing Frigga into this was not going to help, especially if Loki was as close to her as he claimed.

"Guys, it's time to lower the boom." And of course I was ignored as Loki's anger flared once again.

"Trust. Was that her last expression? Trust? When you let her die!" Grief and rage was written all over his face. For the first time I realized that the news of Frigga's death really had taken it's toll on him.

""Would you shut up already?" I shouted, hoping my voice could somehow break them up.

"What help were you in your cell?"

That did it for Loki. His expression grew rigid as he glared at Thor. "Who put me there? Who put me there?!"

Thor suddenly grabbed Loki by the collar. It looked like he was struggling to keep himself from knocking Loki out than and there. "You know damn well! You know damn well!" Then he raised a fist as though he was about to punch Loki.

"Guys, Frigga wouldn't want you to fight!" Really I don't know what I was thinking. One moment I was shouting at them to stop arguing, and the next I stood between them. Thor's eyes widened in disbelief when he realized what he was about to do.

Luckily Thor finally calmed down, and so did Loki.

"Mira is right... Mother would not want us to fight," Thor sighed.

"Well she wouldn't exactly be shocked."

And that was the first time I actually saw Loki smile. It was a shocking sight, to see both Thor and Loki grinning. I suddenly realized that Thor and Loki had been through pretty much everything together. Despite all of the arguments they had in the past, they still cared for one another. But than Loki grew up believing that one day he would be king of Asgard. When Thor was given the thrown instead, Loki's rage followed.

It was Odin's biggest mistake making Loki believe that he would be the future king.

"We should probably get going," I muttered. After Thor helped her up, I noticed that Jane looked a little healthier. Well, as healthy as she could get. She was able to walk on her own now, so that was a good thing.

"Mira is right, we must leave before Malekith arrives. I am sure he already knows where the Aether is located," Thor replied.

"Than lead the way, brother." The look they exchanged told me their argument was far from over. Well this was about to get interesting.

. . .

_"I should not be left in charge of stuff like this, I don't get paid enough. I don't get paid period."_

_"I'm uh...Ian by the way. Uh..Darcy's intern. I don't get paid either. Are you alright?"_

_"I have had a God in my brain. I don't recommend it."_

_"Dr. Selvig, your gear is beeping at me."_

_"It's happening, sooner than I calculated."_

_"Wait, what's happening?"_

_"Birds? Birds are happening?"_

_"They're starlings, it's called a murmuration. My dad used to take me bird watching as a kid."_

_"Erik?"_

_"Look."_

_"Where did they go?"_

_"What the hell was that?! Why are you smiling?"_

_"There's nothing more reassuring than realizing that the world is crazier than you are. Take me to Jane's lab!"_

* * *

**AN: Ah Loki, he really is one of my favorite reoccurring villains, next to Megatron. Yes, I'm looking forward to Transformers: Age of Extinction. And the New How To Train Your Dragon movie. So much to look forward to this summer! Big thanks to Panda Bear Lover 317 and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

We were back on the ship, flying through Svartalfheim. This place really was a desolate wasteland. As far as I could see there was nothing but desert and mountains. It made me wonder how anyone could eek out a living in such a barren landscape.

I was the first to notice when Jane finally woke up. Her eyes slowly opened, blinking away a red cloud. It was clear the Aether was slowly taking over.

"Jane." Thor, ever so careful, was at her side in an instant.

"Malekith." Jane whispered the name, but I heard it loud and clear.

While she was out Thor, Loki and I went over the plan once more. Since than we'd been keeping our distance, Loki flying the ship and Thor staying at Jane's side like a loyal pet. For the most part the plan seemed simple enough. But it was risky, and Malekith could get his hands on the Aether.

"Alright, are you ready?" I stood beside Jane, glancing at her warily. Jane nodded as we landed the ship nearby.

Malekith's ship wasn't far from where we were. I bit the bottom of my lip as we approached it. By now I was used to facing dangerous missions like this. But the risk factor always left me feeling uneasy. No matter how many times I'd faced this kind of danger, I could never get used to it.

"I am," Loki replied.

I rolled my eyes at his response. Leave it to Loki to enjoy what lay ahead. Although I could see why he was looking forward to this plan.

We stood up and approached the spot where Malekith and his soldier were waiting. Jane watched them warily, unsure how to handle the situation.

"You know this plan of yours is going to get us killed," Loki said in an accusing tone. He wasn't necessarily glaring at any of us. What I did notice was how curious he looked as he glanced between me and Thor.

"Yeah, possibly," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

I've been through many life and death situations. This was no different.

Loki's response was a smirk. He seemed more than ready to face what lay ahead of us. As he lifted his handcuffs I was suddenly reminded of just how dangerous he really was. He could easily turn on us if he wanted to.

"You still don't trust me, brother?" Loki's question left me crossing my arms and glaring at him.

"Would you?" Thor grinned before releasing the cuffs around Loki's wrists.

"No I would not." Suddenly Loki pulled out a dagger he'd been hiding. I jumped back, struggling the urge to fight back as he stabbed Thor in the ribs. Moments later and he kicked Thor down the hill.

"Thor! No!" Jane raced down to his side, stumbling in the process.

I had to admit Loki did put on a good show. I sat back and watched as the scene unfolded before me. Jane was panicking while Loki just smirked as he walked down to join them.

"You really think I cared about Frigga, about anybody? All I ever wanted was you and Odin dead at my feet!" I couldn't help but wince at the mention of Frigga.

Loki did care about Frigga, that much I knew. Her influence on him was still obvious. I just hoped it was enough to keep him from turning on us at the last minute.

Thor raised his hand to summon Mjölnir, but Loki was quicker. As fast as lightning he drew his dagger and cut off Thor's arm. It took everything I had not to fight back. Thor's scream of agony made me wonder if Loki really had cut his arm off.

By the time Jane reached Thor, Loki grabbed her by the waste and turned to face Malekith and his army. They too were watching the scene with keen interest. There was no doubt Malekith was more interested in the Aether than a fight between brothers.

"Malekith, I am Loki of Jotunheim and I bring you a gift!" Jane stared at Loki with hate as he threw her at Malekith's feet. "I ask only one thing in return, a good seat from which to watch Asgard burn."

The look Jane shot me was a venomous one when she finally noticed where I was standing. I couldn't help but stare back. Even if I wanted to there was no way I would fight back now. We were outnumbered and outmatched.

"_He is an enemy of Asgard, he was locked in a cell_." One of the members of Malekith's army stepped up, looking larger than the others. Actually he looked more like a beast you read about in stories than anything else.

Remind me to look up Norse mythology when I get back. Whatever the creature was it was huge, dark and dangerous looking. All I knew was I was staying out of this fight, for now.

Malekith walked over to Thor as he groaned in pain, gripping his now cut off arm. Loki really did make it look real. Even the blood looked real as it stained the ground.

"Look at me," he ordered. Malekith simply kicked Thor with his boot and turned him over, smirking as the Asgardian was turned to face him. As Malekith summoned the Aether from Jane's body she seemed to float in the air, looking all but defenseless.

But that was where our plan would come in handy.

"Loki, now!" Loki suddenly appeared beside me, the magic around Thor's arm fading. Malekith's eyes widened in surprise when he realized what Loki was up to. Thor wasted no time in summoning Mjölnir to destroy the Aether with lightning.

Now that was a spectacle I never thought I'd see. The Aether looked stunning mixing with Mjölnir's lightning. But as Thor tried to destroy it Malekith managed to absorb the Aether. My eyes widened in dismay as he turned back to his ship.

Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse. It was times like these I really wished I was back on the Grid. At least life was fairly simple there. On the Grid you didn't have Dark Elves to worry about or any powerful magic like the Aether or the Tesseract to destroy things with.

Yeah, because getting repurposed is so much better. One of the elves that was left behind suddenly ran forward, towards me. I reached for my light sword and swung it across the elf's thigh. Before it had time to react I quickly stepped aside to avoid getting stabbed with a knife.

The Dark Elf was faster than I'd expected. It struck out at my arm, leaving a nasty gash as I tried avoiding it's attack. And now I had this to worry about. Maybe we could've thought this plan through a little better - right now things were not exactly going the way I had hoped.

Meanwhile Thor and Loki were taking care of the other Dark Elf while I was left facing this one alone. It's not like Jane could be of any use in the condition she was in.

"I think I've about had it with elves," I muttered as I dodged each of it's blows.

"How many times have you faced these creatures in battle?" Loki demanded as he threw more magic at the Dark Elf.

I was about to respond when I noticed the creature that had spoken to Malekith earlier. The creature suddenly grabbed what looked like a bomb and tossed it over to Jane, who was still standing there in shock. I didn't even know what I was thinking as I pushed her aside.

Almost at once a portal was opened, and as it threatened to suck me in I half expected this to be the end.

Luckily Thor was there to pull me out. Loki had just finished the other Dark Elf when Thor faced the creature that had opened the portal. The creature was stronger than Thor by a long shot. I winced as it threw it's fists into Thor, knocking him aside like he was just a pebble.

Loki suddenly rushed forward and impaled the creature with his dagger. I couldn't help but cringe as the creature turned to face Loki, who just stared back in disbelief. He didn't get a chance to flee as the creature pulled Loki into the blade that was still sticking through him.

The panic I felt moments ago returned at full force. Loki may be a big-headed jerk, but he didn't deserve to die like this.

"No!" Thor's shout was left unheard as the monster took a step towards Loki, who was now struggling to stand up.

"See you in hell, monster!" It took me a few seconds to realize what Loki had meant by that. Attached to the blade Loki had been stabbed with was a grenade the creature had used earlier. The creature's eyes widened in panic when a portal opened, sucking it in.

"No, no! Fool, you didn't listen!" Thor had rushed over to Loki's side.

I could only watch, feeling a pang in my chest when I realized what was happening.

For the first time I felt something other than hate and distrust for Loki. This could be a trick too, as far as I was concerned. But I couldn't help but feel some kind of pity for Loki. He sacrificed himself to kill the creature.

"I know, I'm a fool. I'm a fool!" Loki's face twisted in pain. I didn't even notice that Jane had joined me when she noticed what was going on.

"Stay with me. Stay!" Thor's desperate pleas were left unanswered.

All of a sudden I was reminded of what Tron had said when Beck lost his disk. He said the same thing, trying desperately to make sure Beck didn't lose his memories. But this was different. Beck may have lost his memories but he wouldn't derezz, or die.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." Loki whimpered. He was looking at me, and for a short while I realized that his gaze was apologetic.

"It's alright. I'll tell father what you did here today," Thor said reassuringly.

"I didn't do it for him." He did it for Frigga. What he said made me wonder whether or not this really was just an illusion. Surely the great God of Mischief wouldn't allow himself to be killed so easily.

"No!" If one could hear Thor's cry from Earth than they likely had.

I swallowed the grief that was threatening to overwhelm me. This didn't feel right. Something about this made my skin crawl with unease. It was like Loki had provoked the creature to attack him. Maybe that was why I couldn't stop staring at him.

. . .

"He's gonna unleash it, not just on Asgard or on a star, Malekith is gonna destroy everything." Jane sounded so reassuring as we made our way towards any shelter we could find.

It was a cave. Kind of fitting considering what I used to live in on the Grid. Before I met Tron I spent a majority of my life in caves in the Outlands. It wasn't much but at least it kept me protected from the cold and weather.

We left Loki's body behind. There was no place to bury it, and I wasn't even sure of Asgardians believed in burials like humans did. Plus it wasn't in my place to ask. Thor was already stricken with grief over Frigga and Loki.

"How? Jane, how?" Thor demanded, sounding more exhausted than ever. With everything that had happened I couldn't blame him for that.

"I saw him on Earth. Why would he go to Earth?" Jane's question made me stare at her in surprise.

"It's the Convergence," I muttered. Malekith was going to unleash the darkness during the Convergence. It all made sense now why he was so desperate to get it back. I remembered what Heimdall had said about the Grid not being effected by the Convergence. But I still couldn't help worrying about it.

What would everyone do if they suddenly saw Dark Elves destroying the cities? I could imagine how panicked everyone would be. The thought left me feeling uneasy.

"Oh, God. None of this would have happened if I hadn't found the Aether," Jane whispered.

"Then Malekith would have only possessed it that much sooner." Though Thor was trying to reassure her I could see that he was failing, miserably.

"Is there anything we can do to stop him? I'd really rather not have SHIELD involved with all this," I pointed out. Truthfully with me around there was no telling what Clint and Natasha would do if they found out about this.

"Jane Foster is very clever, I am sure you would find a way," Thor replied as he looked proudly at his love.

"I agree with you on the SHIELD thing, and I'm still not forgiving you for lying," Jane said in an accusing tone. To which I just rolled my eyes. "But the devices Erik built should be able to give us enough time to distract Malekith."

"Well I'd love to go back to Earth, but we have no way of getting there," I muttered crossly.

Jane was about to respond when her phone suddenly started ringing. It took her a few seconds to recognize where the music was coming from. Thor only looked at her in confusion while I tried not to smirk at their confused looks.

"It's not me," he told her.

She pulled out her phone after realizing where the sound was coming from. "Hello?"

"Hi, Jane, it's Richard." Wow, she really needs to turn down the volume on that thing. But the voice was strangely reassuring.

If she was getting full service than that meant... Suddenly my phone began ringing as well. Thor raised an eyebrow when I pulled it out. I held back a groan of annoyance when I saw how many missed calls and messages I had.

"Clint's gonna kill me when I get back," I sighed after deleting them all.

"Oh, my God! This is amazing." Jane's eyes widened when she noticed the objects scattered across the cave.

"I don't really see how this is amazing." I rolled my eyes as the phone started ringing again.

"Does Sir Barton know that you are here?" Thor's question caught me off guard, and Jane glared at me once again.

"Not... exactly," I replied with a shrug. Which meant he could have already made his way to London just to find out what I've been up to. "It's not easy living with overprotective parents."

"No, no, no, no! Please, whatever you do, do not hang up the phone," Jane suddenly snapped. She glanced back at me as if she was about to say something, than thought better of it.

I spotted the keys to the car the intern had dropped days ago among various other objects. Trying not to laugh I knelt down to grab them, than tossed them over to Jane.

"Why are there so many shoes in here?" Okay, that did make me laugh. Leave it to Thor to always ask the awkward questions.

Jane just ignored him and led the way forward. I was quick to follow. This place was already depressing enough knowing that Loki was dead. Or he could have pulled a trick on us. Either way I didn't feel like sticking around.

As we stepped forward we found ourselves back on Earth, right outside the factory. My eyes widened in disbelief when I realized what just happened. This was a portal, similar to the one I'd stumbled into back inside the factory.

The car Ian had been driving was still there, though it now had broken windows and graffiti all over it. I tried not to smirk as I got in, followed shortly after by Jane and Thor. It was really more amusing seeing Thor try to hide his cape in the car than anything else.

"So who's Richard?" Thor's question made me laugh again as Jane rolled her eyes.

"Really?"

* * *

**AN: Thought it was time for an update :) So did anyone else get any crazy weather last week? We were driving through some pretty nasty hailstorms on our way home. And of course our new car has dents in it from the damage, but what really scared us was how heavy the hail was. They were the size of golf balls D: But luckily we weren't injured.**

**Oh, and a very happy Memorial Day to everyone! I'd like to thank all of the soldiers and veterans who fought for our freedom or still are fighting for it. And thank you 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing!**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

It took us an hour to reach the apartment due to the traffic. But I was more than relieved to be back. After spending who knows how long in Asgard, I was ready to go back. I never thought I'd say I would take the Grid over Asgard any day. But I would.

Once Jane parked the car I got out of my seat, only to feel someone grab me by the wrist. Jane stopped dead in her tracks as Thor joined her. It took me a few seconds to recognize the strong grip I was struggling to free myself from.

"Where the hell were you?" Cold dread washed over me when I met Clint's piercing gaze.

"Sir Barton, it is good to see you again!" I rolled my eyes as Thor greeted Clint like they were old friends. The God of Thunder seemed oblivious to the fact that I was about to have the grounding of a lifetime.

"Yeah, I think Thor can explain things a little better," I muttered as he let go.

"Please tell me you didn't call in SHIELD," Jane snapped, voice cold as ice. I didn't miss the tension passing between them. Clint was on the mission to keep Mjölnir secure from trespassers like Thor. And it seemed like she did recognize him.

"Of course not," Clint retorted after folding his arms.

Well I suppose that was reassuring. But I was still annoyed that Clint managed to find his way here. No, I wasn't surprised he found my location, or my previous location. Being part of SHIELD meant they were likely tracking my every move.

"Well, while you're sorting out... whatever this is, we've got bigger problems to worry about," Jane explained warily. She grabbed the keys to the car and locked it, though at this point there was no need to do that. The car was already damaged enough that no one would bother stealing it.

"Does anyone want to explain what's going on?" I followed them back to the apartment, with Clint close behind me. Once again Thor was oblivious to the tension that had risen between Jane and Clint. It looked like he was just happy to be back on Earth.

"The Convergence," Thor explained. "It happens every few millennia, and it is happening right now. When the Convergence occurs the planets are aligned-" I cut him off before he could explain any further, although hearing Thor explain it was more appealing. His voice always seemed to help everything make sense.

"Basically it means that portals are opening up to different Realms," I finished for him in a way that Clint would understand.

Luckily he didn't bother questioning us any further. Once we reached the apartment and Jane opened the door, Darcy was the first to greet her. "Jane!" She was standing at a computer screen when she said that.

"Hey."

"You can't just leave like that, the whole world is going crazy!" Darcy exclaimed. Her eyes widened when Clint stepped in beside me. The apartment was small enough to begin with, but now I spotted Dr. Selvig and Ian in the room it felt even smaller. "Oh, hi," she added to Clint, who just nodded in response. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I really hope you don't plan on shooting anyone today," she said nervously.

I couldn't help but smirk when Thor placed his hammer on the coat hanger next to the door. It seemed he was already adjusting to what humans would do on Earth. Hopefully that meant he'd spend a little more time here. Jane might just lose her mind if he left her again.

"I'm off duty," he replied with a shrug. To which I just rolled my eyes. Sure you were.

"All the stuff we saw is spreading," Darcy explained to Jane. It took her a few seconds to notice the dresses we were wearing. "Did you go to a party?" she asked.

"Erik?!" Jane suddenly noticed Erik for the first time. And for the first time I noticed that he wasn't wearing any pants.

His eyes widened when he realized that he had company. "Jane, how wonderful!" He got up to embrace her with a hug, and I jammed my elbow into Clint's ribs as he started to laugh. "You've been to Asgard."

"Where are your pants?" I asked.

"Oh, uh...he uh...he says it helps him think," Ian explained. "I'm Ian Boothby by the way," he added to Clint after noticing him. Once again he just nodded in response, and Ian seemed taken aback by his curt behavior.

"Okay. Well, I'm gonna need everything you got on this. All the work you've been doing on gravimetric anomalies, everything," Jane told Erik.

"Okay." Erik nodded and turned towards Thor, who just smiled at the doctor.

"Are you well, Erik?" he asked.

"Oh yes, just fine... although I wasn't expecting to see Hawkeye so soon," Erik replied in a nervous voice. "Hey... tell me, you're not feeling crazier than usual, right?" He sounded sheepish as he looked at Clint, who folded his arms once again.

"Not that I'm aware of," he replied with a smirk. Again I felt the urge to jab him in the ribs. But I held back. Erik kept looking between me and Clint, as if trying to piece two and two together.

"Are you two related?" And here comes the hundred questions.

"He's kind of... my father," I replied reluctantly. Erik's eyes widened in disbelief. I heard Darcy laugh in the background as Jane gathered everything she would need.

"Funny, he never mentioned you," Erik grumbled under his breath. Now even Ian looked interested as he joined Darcy and Jane. All the while Thor was standing in the middle of the room. He was probably trying to figure out why everyone was so tense again.

At the time even he didn't know. I often wonder how different my life would be had Natasha decided to keep me. When I did find out the truth I had been shocked at first. Eventually though I've grown to accept the fact that they were my parents. It was just something I'd learned to live with.

. . .

"_Forgive me, my liege. I've returned from the Dark World with news."_

_"Thor?"_

_"There's no sign of Thor, or the weapon, but..."_

_"What?"_

_"We found a body."_

_"Loki."_

. . .

"Malekith is going to fire the Aether at a spot where all the nine worlds are connected," Jane explained as they pulled out a map of Europe.

"Amplifying the weapon's impact. With each additional world, the power will increase exponentially. The effect would be universal," Erik put in. I raised an eyebrow as I studied the locations Erik had pointed out. All of them had some kind of connection to the Convergence and the Aether.

"Yes, well the alignment is only temporary. He must be in exactly at the right place at the right time," Thor said in a matter-of-fact tone.

We were discussing how to stop Malekith before he could use the Aether. So far none of us had come up with an ideal plan. Malekith was going to use the Aether to take over the world, that much we knew. But unless we knew exactly where and when he would appear next, we stood no chance against him.

"Well, how do we know where that is?" Clint demanded. I was surprised he'd managed to stay quiet for this long. He kept exchanging knowing looks with Thor, as if they'd done this a million times already.

Of course being part of the Avengers likely meant they _had_ done things like this before, many times. I never bothered spending that much time with the Avengers. Maybe it was time I did, considering I knew them all fairly well now.

"We follow the directions. This has happened before, thousands of years ago, and The Ancients were there to see it," Erik explained after pulling out a map.

It was a map of British Isles. I'd seen it before when Jane was studying some coordinates she'd written down earlier. Erik spread the map over the coffee table and started marking each of the coordinates he was talking about.

"All the great constructions: the Mayas, the Chinese, the Egyptians, they made use of the gravitational effects of the Convergence. And they left us a map," he added. "Stonehenge. Snowdon, the Great Orme. These are all coordinates taking us...here."

Each location seemed to indicate to one spot in particular in the center of the map. I eyed the spot warily. It wasn't too far from where we were now. About a few blocks from here, actually.

"Greenwich," I muttered under my breath. It would be an ideal location for Malekith to unleash the Aether.

"The walls between worlds will be almost non-existent. Physics is gonna go ballistic. Increase and decrease in gravity, spatial extrusions. The very fabric of reality is gonna be torn apart," Jane started sputtering what sounded like nonsense to most people.

Thor suddenly summoned Mjölnir when he realized where this was going.

"I better grab my pants."

As the four of them got ready to leave Clint grabbed me by the shoulder once again. I resisted the urge to glare when I realized where this was going.

"You're not going anywhere," he said in a tone that warned me I better not argue.

I was about to when I thought better of it. Thor beat me to it once the others were out the door.

"Your daughter fought bravely during the battles on Asgard," he pointed out. "She is more than capable of... handling the situation."

"We're also running short on time," I pointed out while giving Thor a thankful look. The God in question just shrugged as if he'd heard this song and dance before.

Clint just glared at the both of us before giving in. "Alright, but you're staying out of trouble," he grumbled in defeat.

Wow, if only it was always this easy. If I had known he would give in so easily I wouldn't have complained so much. With a roll of my eyes I grabbed my light sword baton, making sure I had everything I would need for the battle.

This was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the shorter chapter. Next one will definitely be longer. And yes, I do manage to squeeze in everyone to my stories ;) By the way, has anyone heard Imagine Dragons new song Battle Cry? For some reason my friend (Spinosa) and I have been obsessing it. We're even more excited for the new Transformers movie then ever! And thanks to 2theSky, Panda Bear Lover 317 and QuilSniv for reviewing! You guys are amazing :D**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

It took us a good few hours to reach Greenwich. The crowds of people gave us odd looks as we passed by them. From our vantage point we could see an old library that overlooked what looked like the town square. On the other side were more tall buildings that looked like offices.

Darcy and Ian were on one side of the square while Clint and I were on the other, both carrying the gadgets Jane would need. Thor was already waiting for Malekith with Mjölnir in hand. This was one battle I'd rather not take part in if I didn't have to.

Luckily Clint had given us earpieces so that we could stay connected. If we got separated we could at least communicate with one another if things got desperate.

"All we have to do is hammer these in," I muttered as Clint grabbed the hammer Erik had handed us. "Sounds easy enough."

"These things are taped together," Clint pointed out, sounding more annoyed than anything else.

Don't blame me for tagging along. I could've done this on my own without needing an extra hand. Of course Clint being the overprotective father that he was, had to barge in on our business and my 'vacation' time. There was no way in heck I was giving him any sympathy right now.

People were starting to gather around the area after noticing Thor's arrival. Most of them stopped and gaped, wondering what was happening. I thought of the danger these people were in, realizing that they needed to be warned before things got messy.

Too late. As we placed the final gadget a ship began to materialize.

"Holy shit!" Darcy's cry caught me by surprise. Glancing over my shoulder I noticed that she and Ian had joined us shortly after finishing their part in the plan.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Out of instinct I reached my light sword just as Clint grabbed an arrow, ready to fire if Malekith or any other Dark Elf decided to attack us.

The ship slowly crashed into the grounds. I could feel my heart racing as people began to panic.

Sure, now they start to run. You would think the sight of an Avenger would be a major clue that something dangerous was about to happen. This wasn't going to end well.

Malekith was already walking out of the ship, followed by his army of Dark Elves. Thor stood alone in the center of the grounds, ready for the final showdown. At least I hoped that was where this fight led.

"You needn't have come so far, Asgardian! Death would have come to you soon enough." Malekith actually sounded different. Maybe the Aether was affecting his voice somehow. Either way it creeped me out knowing this guy could easily destroy the world.

"Not by your hand!" Thor shouted back.

I wish I could share his confidence. The Dark Elves held an ominous presence as they circled the area, carrying weapons of their own.

By now most of the grounds was cleared out. I wonder if Jane and Erik were able to clear out the library as well. Hopefully the people inside were smart enough to realize that their world was about to be turned upside down.

"Your universe was never meant to be. Your world and your family will be extinguished."

Malekith raised his arms, and in a split second Thor jumped out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit by the Aether energy. While Malekith and Thor were locked in battle the Dark Elves started running towards us.

Have I mentioned how much I'm beginning to hate Dark Elves? The first one to reach me was taken down in a matter of seconds by my light sword. Clint fired an explosive arrow at a group of Dark Elves before they could reach us.

"You two might want to stay out of the crossfire," Clint said to Darcy and Ian. They were both watching with wide eyes as another Dark Elf ran at me. I flipped back to avoid getting punched in the face, only just narrowly. The two of them made a run for it as I knocked the creature out. "Have any idea when Jane's brilliant plan is put in action?" Clint's question did leave me wondering just what Jane and Erik were up to.

Thor and Malekith were duking it out in the middle of the grounds. Once Darcy had given Jane the signal, she should have activated the devices. Suddenly Thor threw Mjölnir right at Malekith, who was thrown into the library after trying to block the attack using the Aether.

"You hold them off, I'll rendezvous with Jane," I muttered once the army seemed distracted. Clint looked like he was ready to argue when he thought better of it.

I'd be safer going after Jane and Darcy than staying here in the middle of the fight. As I said that the Dark Elves rushing towards us suddenly disappeared in a flash. It took me a few seconds to realize that the devices had worked.

So that meant the Dark Elves had been sent somewhere else. Wherever they went was no concern for me at the moment.

It didn't take me long to find Darcy and Ian. They were standing beside the library, looking panicked at the fighting going on around them.

"Oh, there's a guy with a sword!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger. I whirled around just in time to see a Dark Elf raising his sword at me.

I could hear Jane fumbling around with the device she'd used to make the Dark Elf disappear. My relief was short lived when I realized that Darcy and Ian had disappeared as well.

That was just wonderful. At this rate they could be anywhere. I held back a sigh of annoyance as I grabbed the baton Tony and Beck had designed. If Beck had worked on it than I had no doubt the light cycle would work.

Light cycles were vehicles that were built to work only on the Grid. That was why Tony had asked Beck to work with him, and Sam to merge companies. If anyone could get them to work outside the Grid it was the two best mechanics I knew.

"Oops." Jane actually sounded concerned when she realized what had happened.

"I'm on it, keep an eye on Thor and Malekith," I told her.

"Just stay out of trouble," Clint muttered through the earpiece.

I think at this point that was almost impossible. The streets were in chaos as more and more people discovered what was going on. Malekith had made his ship pretty obvious.

With a shake of my head I rezzed the baton I'd been holding. To my surprise and relief it turned into a light cycle. The design was similar to the ones on the Grid. And everything seemed to function perfectly.

Okay, now this was going to be fun.

. . .

"_What the hell just happened? Move!"_

_"What are you all doing? You need to get out of here! Now!"_

_"You're joking, right? That's Thor out there waving his hammer around and everything!_"

. . .

"_Confirming ship is hostile."_

_"Confirm, the ship is hostile. You have permission to engage."_

_"Roger. The missile's locked. The missile's on its way."_

_"Missile off target! I repeat..."_

_"Mayday! I'm losing control. Mayday! Mayday! I'm losing control!_"

. . .

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. As I swerved in and out of the crowds of people I realized that I was lost. Everyone kept giving the light cycle awestruck looks as I passed by them. I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or annoyed by their staring.

Thankfully Darcy and Ian weren't hard to find. They were standing in the middle of what looked like an alley. And what I saw next caught me by surprise, and I would have been laughing if it wasn't for the situation.

"You two make a cute couple," I said as I turned my light cycle back into a baton.

Darcy nearly yelped in surprise and shoved Ian aside like their kiss never happened. All the while Ian's cheeks were a bright shade of red. This time I couldn't hold back my laughter.

"We do don't we?" Darcy finally recovered from the shock and grinned sheepishly.

Before I could respond we all suddenly disappeared. The world seemed to flash before my eyes until I appeared right beside Jane. Darcy and Ian were standing beside Erik, looking around wildly to figure out what just happened.

"Ian?" Erik's question made us all look in his direction.

"Selvig!" Ian just nodded to Erik as if that was the best way to reply.

"Meowmeow!" Darcy's shout made us all look at her like she'd lost her mind. "What, everyone else is doing it!" she protested.

"Where the hell is Thor?" I jumped when I realized that Clint had caught up with us.

"I'm doing the best I can with what I have," Jane told him, sounding more anxious than ever. "Oh no, we're out of time!"

I noticed what she was staring at, and to my horror I saw that she was right. The planets were aligning. I wasn't sure if it was the Tesseract that was letting me see this or if everyone else could. But the sight was surprisingly beautiful.

"Jane! Jane!" Erik's shouting caught my attention.

Jane was running towards Malekith with the devices in hand. None of us made a move to stop her. Thank the Users she didn't have to get very far. She halted near the edge of the steps when Thor emerged from what I guessed was a subway station.

"Thor! We're too late," she announced once Thor reached her.

"The Convergence is at it's peak," I added warily.

Thor glanced over at the gadget spears that Erik was holding. If anything could stop Malekith it was the devices Jane had built. I've already seen them work wonders during the battle.

"Can those things stop him?" he asked with a nod towards the gadgets.

"Not from here," Erik replied.

"We can't get close enough," Jane told him.

He looked at all of us calmly, as if reassuring us that everything would work out in the end. "I can." Before anyone could stop him he took the gadgets and rushed off to Malekith. The world felt like it had slowed down as he approached the Dark Elf. "Malekith!"

Malekith turned to face Thor. Confidence showed in every move he made. He would win. Nothing could stand in his way once the Convergence was complete. I watched on, suddenly aware that everything depended on Thor's success.

"The darkness returns, Asgardian. Have you come to witness the end of your universe?" His questions sent goosebumps down my arms.

For most of my life I lived in a dark world. The only light on the Grid came from circuits in the city or on programs' suits. I knew all too well what it was like living in a world like that.

"I've come to accept your surrender."

The ruler of the Dark Elves looked at Thor in confusion as he said those words. Thor suddenly threw one of the gadget spears at Malekith, and he caught it with ease. Jane activated the machine once more, and in a split second Malekith's arm disappeared.

"You make that look easy," I grumbled under my breath.

"It's all a matter of practice," she replied when Thor threw the second gadget spear. She activated the machine again, this time Malekith's other arm disappeared as well.

"You think you can stop me? The Aether cannot be destroyed." Malekith wasn't lying. Odin had explained that the Aether could not be destroyed, so the Asgardians hid it. I hoped Odin would find a better place to hide it this time once this was over.

"But you can." It looked like Thor was summoning Mjölnir as he started rushing towards Malekith. Once Mjölnir had reached him Thor used the hammer to throw it at Malekith into his ship. Malekith didn't even get the chance to see what happened next. Jane punched in the code, and the ship along with Malekith disappeared.

"Well that was fun." Clint's remark made me roll my eyes in annoyance.

The relief from earlier quickly returned. Malekith was gone. The area was in shambles after the battle, but at least it looked like no one had been seriously injured. It didn't take me long to spot Thor. He stood out in the debris.

Jane quickly rushed over to his side, and just as she did Malekith's ship began to make a creaking noise. "Thor! No!" She reached him when the ship began to crumble around them.

"Jane!" Erik's cry was left unheard. Jane looked at us all with pleading eyes, as if expecting us to rush in and help.

My body worked faster than my mind. I could hear shouting from the background as I ran forward to help Jane move Thor, but it was too late. The ship was already leaning towards us once I reached them.

"He's too heavy," I groaned after our struggle ended in vein.

Jane looked up at the falling ship and wrapped herself around Thor, acting like a shield against the debris. Neither of us would get out of this in time, even if we could move Thor's body. I braced myself for the pain that would follow, hoping that if I lived through this, Clint wouldn't kill me.

The pain never happened. Both Jane and I looked around in surprise and relief. The ship must have disappeared into a portal.

"Everybody okay?" Everyone else had joined us as Thor woke up.

"You are grounded." I just folded my arms as Clint glared at me.

"Yeah yeah, I know the drill," I muttered with a roll of my eyes.

Darcy looked at us in amusement before she suddenly wrapped her arms around Ian. As the two started kissing I brushed off the dust from my clothes. I guess this vacation was over.

. . .

"_He's gonna come back. Except, you know, last time he was gone for like two years."_

_"Well, it's only been two days, so."_

_"Did he say anything before he left?"_

_"Yeah, he had to figure some stuff out with his father. He kind of committed treason...on our way out._"

. . .

"_You once said there would never be a wiser King than me. You were wrong. The alignment has brought all the realms together. Every one of them saw you offer your life to save them. What can Asgard offer its new King in return?"_

_"My life. Father, I cannot be King of Asgard. I will protect Asgard and all the realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot do so from that chair. Loki for all his grave imbalance understood rule as I know I never will. The brutality, the sacrifice, it changes you. I'd rather be a good man than a great King."_

_"Is this my son I hear, or the woman he loves?"_

_"When you speak I never hear Mother's voice. This is not for Jane, Father. She does not know what I came here to say. Now forbid me to see her or say she can rule at my side, it changes nothing."_

_"One son who wanted the throne too much, another who will not take it. Is this my legacy?"_

_"Loki died with honor, I shall try to live the same. Is that not legacy enough?"_

_"It belongs to you, if you are worthy of it."_

_"I shall try to be."_

_"I cannot give you my blessing, nor can I wish you good fortune."_

_"I know."_

_"If I were proud of the man my son had become, even that I could not say. It would speak only from my heart. Go, my son."_

_"Thank you, father."_

_"No. Thank you._"

. . .

The airport was buzzing with activity. I had all of my bags packed and ready to go. All I needed to do now was wait for my flight that was scheduled to leave soon. Clint had left a few days ago, and I grudgingly agreed to leave as soon as the issues between Jane and me were sorted out.

I was thankful Jane had forgiven me for lying. It seemed she understood I wasn't here on a mission. This was supposed to be a vacation from SHIELD. Unfortunately it seemed fate had other things planned for me.

Darcy and Ian were standing in the airport beside me, looking rather disgruntled with everything that had happened or was happening.

"Say hi to Beck for me!" Darcy said as she hugged me.

"Will do," I replied while trying not to grin at Ian's expression.

After her little discovery of my past with SHIELD, I decided to introduce her to Beck. Needless to say she was more than surprised to meet him. And of course being the scientist Jane was, she had dozens of questions to ask him about the Grid and what life was like on it.

"Stay out of trouble you two," I added once they announced my flight was boarding.

"What is this trouble you speak of?" Darcy asked in a mocking voice.

I couldn't help but grin at that. Goodbyes were always bittersweet. But I knew that we would see each other soon. Darcy and Jane were two people I would not forget too easily. They've become good friends, and that made this adventure worth it.

* * *

**AN: Phew, got this finished. I can't wait to get started with the next story :) It's going to be a CATWS crossover, and I've already got major plans for it. I'm planning on having it tie in with the last few episodes of AOS as well. After that the Amazing Spiderman 2 will be started. Big thanks to 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing! You guys are amazing reviewers and friends :D**


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